


Interruptions

by Nny11



Series: Close But No Cigar [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Ahsoka and Mace don't mutually punch one another, Ahsoka doesn't punch Tarkin, Ahsoka has some issues, Ahsoka makes mistakes, Anakin Good Luck Charm Skywalker, Anakin didn't like fighting without a lightsaber, Anakin has a crush on Padme but what else is new, Blanket Forts Solve Problems, Close But No Cigar Universe, Echo mention, Everybody has feels, Fives mention, Foundling, Gen, Growing Pains, Hardcase mention, Jedi don't dream until the war, Kalifa lives, Kidnapping, Looking at you goth Son, Mace Windu is trying his best, Minor Character Death, Not Beta Read, Obi-Wan breaks them out of jail-I mean classes, Obi-Wan is not technically their master but that doesn't mean he isn't, Papa Koon is best Koon, Qui Gon is a bit selfish, Qui Gon is spiritually explored by a cat, Qui-Gon has had it up to here with the council, Rex also doesn't punch Tarkin, Superstitions, Tarkin is a shadow man, The Arena is still Hell, The Council deserves a break too, The Daughter can actually be SUBTLE, The Daughter has had it up to here with her brother, The Son is a nasty bastard, This is why you don't juggle bombs HARDCASE, Who is this Plo Koon Guy stealing away my best friend?, Yoda helps bby Ahsoka with fam feels, Yoda is a softie, fighting for a padawan, tea cures everything, various POV, we know 2 kids who are gonna find some kyber, wow there is no way I'll keep up with these tags
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-08
Updated: 2017-08-01
Packaged: 2018-09-15 15:55:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 17
Words: 25,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9242891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nny11/pseuds/Nny11
Summary: A series of one-shots/slice of life from my other story "The Apprenticeship". Will try to add more to summary as I have chapters posted.Ch 1 The council meets Ahsoka Tano for the first time and takes a break.Ch 2 Yoda stops to help his padawan with an ancient Jedi problem. Attachment.Ch 3 Qui Gon Jinn teases Yoda knowing it'll cost him some bruises.Ch 4 Obi-Wan Kenobi has many regrets, enabling Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano to have fun is not one of them.Ch 5 Ahsoka has growing pains. So does Anakin.Ch 6 Anakin feels bad about his past, Ahsoka is oblivious and makes a blanket fortCh 7 Ahsoka saves Barriss, Barriss saves Ahsoka, Rex saves both of themCh 8 It's not Anakin's fault that Ahsoka said he was luckyChr 9 Anakin doesn't like Plo Koon and is kinda, sorta, maybe fishing for Obi-Wan's approvalCh 10 Clones juggle detonators and Ahsoka approvesCh 11 Qui Gon really wants a cup of tea thank you!Ch 12 Kalifa saves Ahsoka from the fireCh 13 Ahsoka wants the Son to shut upCh 14 Citadel pt 1Ch 15 Citadel pt 2Ch 16 Mace and Ahsoka Chat, it goes okCh 17 Ahsoka asks the wrong Jedi for help





	1. Duck, Duck, Goose

Yoda reclined in his seat, doing nothing to hide his smile. Standing before the council was Master Plo Koon, who typically was seated just a few spaces down from the Grand Master instead of standing as a supplicant. In his arms, dead asleep and drooling, was a youngling that had been missed by the Seekers. A small Togruta who had barely been found and rescued in the knick of time. The Jedi Order worked tirelessly to keep track of force sensitive children, but the truth was that there were very few Jedi and they were all spread thin. It made seeking out new children difficult, to the point that only a small handful of people were responsible for combing through the eddies of the Force looking for a few bright lights amongst trillions. Ordinarily a young child who had been missed was either destined to never be found by the Order, or was promptly reported by the family to the first Jedi or Republic official they could find. Shili, however, did not have any Jedi assigned to it and the Republic officials tended to stay in large cities instead of traveling about the vast wilderness of the planet. This village, this particular family, had little choice but to send an unprotected transmission. Not knowing any better they had sent it directly to the Temple on Coruscant.

An important message that was first buffered around the Temple’s large, complex communication system as so much noise before someone finally heard what it contained. 

A message they had rightly feared had been intercepted days earlier.

The Council had not wasted time waiting for a Seeker to be available. Plo had volunteered to go as he was closer to Shili than anyone else, and had a ship just large enough to handle the mission. It was sound reasoning; logical. A Council Member would be able to discern if the child was the right age, temperament, and had the raw ability to become a Jedi. He was a trained diplomat and a kind man who had a way with younglings. The Kel Dor also had a rather long and checkered history of finding, and attaching, to younglings of all varieties. Honestly, if Yoda had it his way Plo would spend his time as a Seeker, but Master Koon was insistent that he was uncomfortable. Protests aside, the Force had plans that somehow kept turning him down the same well worn path. Yoda would be lying if he said it wasn’t one of the funniest things he’d seen develop over the last two hundred years.

It was not the first time, and would probably be far from the last, that Plo would stand before the Council holding a new foundling he somehow had already formed a force bond with.

Some Jedi struggled to form any bonds, and yet here they were again. Yoda could feel his old friend’s consternation through the Force, and didn’t completely manage to hide his chuckle.

“Your new Apprentice, yes?” He asked and only chuckled more as a few of the Master’s ducked their heads to hide their own smiles.

“It is unclear in the Force, but she is meant to be with us. She demonstrated some rather well developed abilities for one so young, and she would remain in danger should we return her to her family.” Plo’s voice was even.

It only made the situation funnier to be honest.

“Yes, read your report we did, heard both your accounts. A Jedi, she will be.” Yoda nodded firmly, allowing a certain seriousness into his voice. For all he wanted to tease, it was important no one mistook his amusement for dismissal. “Strong in the Force she is, uncertain her fate.”

“As are ours,” Plo said with a slight nod, freezing as the girl in his arms squirmed and whimpered as his cold face mask tapped her head. When it became clear she wouldn’t wake he relaxed again.

“Indeed, indeed. A good Padawan she will make.” Yoda couldn’t resist one last dig knowing that his friend would personally carry her to the Creche and would not leave until the child was settled. In fact, Plo would probably fret over this youngling for the rest of her natural life. It was something of a habit he'd developed.

“Yes, perhaps you will thank me one day for finding her for you Master.” It was the closest Plo Koon would ever get to flippancy in the Council Chamber.

“Until then Master Koon, until then hmm?”

Plo gave a shallow bow so as to not disturb his foundling any further. She had fallen asleep after speaking to the council, exhausted by her entire experience. The girl had been very nervous standing before them all, her recent experience tinting her view but she had still listened. She had listened with the Force. A very hopeful thing that had been. When Yoda had touched her hand to read her in the Force he had been surprised by the depth already present in her. Crude shielding that had hidden the truth of her even if it couldn’t stop a gentle probe. It was a...somewhat troubling idea. To develop on one's own was impressive and foreboding, many such foundlings struggled within the Order. It had been enough for him to pause and consider, had this child already seen enough darkness to bar her from the Order? He had still been unsure when she had begun to fuss with his hand and wrist, when she had dropped her hands away there was a small beaded bracelet tied on with a large sloppy knot. One of her very few possessions given to help alleviate his concerns.

Yoda had refused to take it off yet, after all there was no need to be rude. 

As Plo left all Yoda could think was that Ahsoka Tano was either going to be a boon or a handful, possibly both at the same time. The best ones often were. The real question was what kind of Jedi she would be. From the report he had expected a rather quiet and emotional child. And she had been to a certain degree, only while she remembered Master Plo was there. The first few minutes had been difficult as Ahsoka had decided she didn’t want to stand in the middle of the Councilors. She had first tugged at Master Plo, sending something unformed to him in the Force. It had been a rather impressive attempt for a foundling.

Jedi children were different, and not in the ways one always expected. Many of them spoke very little or started speaking late, but once they did it was in complete sentences with a broad vocabulary. The most delightful in Yoda’s recent memory was watching Initiate Kenobi chew on his own collar thoughtfully before looking him dead in the eyes and trying to mind trick him for a sweet. But there were other things that were more Force specific. Young children typically could only project high emotions through the Force to strangers, a fully trained Knight would be able to send specific concepts, and a Master could often speak a few words directly. It wasn’t typical to see a toddler pushing concepts, even if they were so jumbled as to be unintelligible.

Being ignored had directly led the foundling to her next strange action. She had immediately gone and clambered into Master Yaddle’s chair with her. Foundlings usually came before the council and were very nervous, often trying to not draw notice or answer questions. The quiet contemplative child had apparently been replaced by one eager to gain someone's attention. After quickly settling Ahsoka had produced a half eaten ration bar which had been jammed down the front of her shirt and immediately offered it to her new seat mate.

It had at least endeared her to Yaddle, even as it scandalized Poof.

Master Yoda broke out of his thoughts as the doors closed and Mace finally coughed in a vain attempt to suppress his chuckling. The Council didn’t need to discuss her entry, that had been decided already. With Master Koon away, Yoda made another blanket decision and declared a few hour break break. A few taps on his chair’s interface and the doors swished back open. Several Councilors only stayed long enough to give him a nod of thanks before rushing off to the next emergency. Most of them would take a few minutes to meditate. Then there was Master Yaddle.

“Forget not, that gave me a gift first the youngling did!” Yaddle cackled around a mouthful of her ration bar. “Perhaps her master I am meant to be hm?”

“Plo would fight you.” Mace snorted, stretching a bit as he stood.

Sasee rolled his eyes, “Shall I alert Drallig of this upcoming demonstration?”

“Too old I am, nominate Knight Krell to fight in my place I do.” Yoda said as the Council Aides distributed tea and light snacks.

It did them well to take this moment he thought. The Council had many dark and difficult cases. Their lives constantly interrupted at all hours for various galactic emergencies. It was the exact reason that he was staunch about teaching an Initiate class every year, the life they brought one another, the lessons they could impart and leaps of logic were astounding. In fact, perhaps he should take this time to devise a little game for his class the next rotation. Thinking of the strange shielding he made a few notes for starting up a game of Find-Me-Not a little earlier than he normally did...after all it couldn’t hurt to see how many of them had some sort of natural talent there.


	2. Forgetting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes it's impossible to let go of those you love even if you should.

Yoda watched carefully and critically as Ahsoka rattled off answers while doing a headstand against the wall. His watch was in part to ensure she was answering correctly, part to ensure she wouldn’t slip and fall, and part of it was probing. Ahsoka usually bore his metaphysical poking with curiosity, after all, his poking about allowed her to see a bit back into him. Today was different though, yes, today had been very different.

It wasn’t that Master Yoda never dealt with anyone who was in a bad mood, in fact being Head of the Order pretty much was a guarantee that he mostly dealt with people in bad moods. Hells, he had even had several rough days recently. Meditating to reflect on and release his negative emotions. Ahsoka was rarely in a foul mood though. Half a year into her apprenticeship and Yoda had honestly expected much more complaining and emotional outbursts. A Padawan she was, but also a youngling. That was just part of the territory of younglings. They were learning to control their emotions, control their minds, their bodies, and their thoughts. That was the point of being an Initiate. Learning to control oneself before having to master so much more. This was more of what he’d expected from a six year old, pouting and watery eyes but enough training and dedication to release their emotions.

It was still concerning that he hadn’t been able to figure out what the problem was, and more concerning that after several hours of work it had not been forgotten or resolved. That only meant that it was something big, or at least big to her.

Yoda had spent enough time with the younglings to know that a “big problem” could be just about anything. From not getting to play with a toy they liked, to wanting to eat food that was incompatible with their biology, to even something as simple as forgetting how to tie a boot lace or layer their robes. Younglings were still children. It wasn’t just something he thought to keep his own emotions in check during an Initiate’s tantrum, it was something he believed in. Jedi younglings were the same as regular children in many ways, for all their gifts they could be easily upset and often were easily soothed.

When Ahsoka finished speaking she sniffled miserably and Master Yoda decided that perhaps his probing and the difficult nature of the exercise were only making matters worse instead of better.

“Good, very good. A break we should take, too much blood in your head hm? Not so easy for your heart to pump. Come, come!” Yoda managed to keep a lightness to his own voice and years of practice kept him from wincing as his Padawan basically crumpled to the floor. He waited a beat before realizing she had no intentions of continuing on. “Comfortable are you?”

A whine and burst of tears was his answer.

Yoda felt his ears both pull upwards in surprise and concern as he seated himself next to her. “Padawan, breath with me you should. In through your nose and out through your mouth. Concentrate on my breathing.”

When she only seemed to half follow his instructions he sent over their training bond, /There is no emotion, there is peace./

The reaction through the bond was clear enough. \Tired. Sore. Sad. Longing.\

Progress at last. Yoda kept his breathing slow and even the way he did when they meditated together. One arm draped over her, his legs crossed. “Good. Focus.” /What do you miss?/

The images were all blurred and distorted as she finally dropped all her shielding, training bond or not she was too young to be focused. Then it all snapped into one clear memory, some distant trigger point.

His fingers ached from too much work, everything stiff and sore. A woman sat in front of him, massaging his hands and clucking. “If you had been moderate in your work it wouldn’t hurt and you would be able to do more tomorrow. As this is, you will not be able to help a soul.” A few kisses pressed onto his small orange hands, and one to his forehead. It was easy to feel all the love this woman had in her, all this joy.

And like that the flood was over, and he sat once more in his own body with a grieving child. “Natural it is to miss your loved ones, hard it is to let them go hm? Attachment, yes, dangerous and bold. Natural regardless. Find peace from within you can and with time learn to let them go you will.”

This only brought a defiant head shake. That only earned itself a frown.

“Yes, release them you must. Trust the Force to care for them, to guide them, to be with them. But they must continue on their paths, as you must travel your own. The Force will be there for them as it is here for you. You have been called to serve it’s will, to aid people like your mother.” Yoda sighed as his words only made her curl up tighter. He was under the distinct impression that she was speaking to him, but possibly beyond his hearing range and probably very broken trilling. A slight pressure on his ear drums.

“Difficult it is. Painful it is. Help you to overcome it I wish to.” He considered his next words carefully. “Help, would it, to hear of my family?”

There was a long pause as she hiccuped and considered his offer. Yoda never spoke about his biological family, never spoke of anything before he was a Jedi. Finally she uncurled and moved to put her head in his lap. She buried her face into his stomach and Yoda did allow himself to smile. He wasn’t sure when the last time was that someone tried to forget their problems by burrowing into him. He let his own amusement, care, and pride flow to her through the Force.

“An only child I was, two loving parents I had yes. One with light brown hair, one without. See who I took after hmm?” Yoda smiled at her and patted at his balding head. “Always busy, busy! I remember, very long ago, I used to ride with my mother to my uncle’s house everyday. Watch me he would. A kind man yes, spoiled me with good food he did!”

“My mom, she made stews, and roasts, and jerky, and, and uh,” Ahsoka spoke to his tunics, but at least she was speaking with him again.

“Stews yes! Made stews my uncle did as well. Delicious root stew.” Yoda wished he could make his stomach rumble on demand, it would’ve been a nice effect. “Always wanted to learn that I did.”

Ahsoka scrunched her whole face up, snotty nose leaking, her face almost rust colored from the crying, and her lekku twitching against his feet. It was the yuck face. He’d seen it a few times when Ahsoka had seen or heard something that she thought was gross. Full face scrunch. He made a note to work on controlling that as he mostly saw it while she was helping in the Council Chamber. Probably offended a few of the Master’s who had come before them, all of whom probably needed the disdain of a youngling to knock them down a few pegs.

“Yes, root stew, delicious for herbivores like me.” He chuckled as the yuck face only intensified. “Perhaps we can learn to make stews together. Root for me, meat for you hm?”

“Do you miss them?” Ahsoka's voice was very small, but the question proved that she would not be so easily distracted.

It was a difficult question, after over 800 years of life many things were fuzzy or blurred in his memory. He’d forgotten more than some people would ever learn, but it was still frustrating at time to realize he didn’t have an answer he should. Yoda did remember his family, although he had only been with them for the first ten years of his life. Take to the Order he was at the appropriate age, and thus his blood family was remembered by little more than what he had told her. Images and sensations. He wouldn’t lie just to make her feel better though, attachment was the most difficult lesson for Jedi. One learned hardest as a youngling, and learned repeatedly through their lifetime. It would do her no good to lie.

“No. I have made the Order my family, it’s tenets are my values, it’s health my only legacy. I have spent far more time here than I spent there. A special place they will have in my heart, but miss them I do not. Not with so much here. Here my friends are, and my padawans hmm.” Yoda kept his tone as soft as possible, pinching one chubby cheek at the end. Her smile was weak in response. “As time goes on, you will learn to let them live as they were meant to. You will learn that your family is here with you now.”

There, in the Force, he could feel her reach for something. After a moment her smile became more genuine, more serene. He again pushed the pride he felt into the Force, just enough shown for her to know he felt it. He let her stay until her hugging became more about exploring what was on his belt than being comforted. As she left to wash her face and prepare for the evening meal, Yoda sent in a request for two bowls of stew to be delivered to his quarters knowing they’d arrive probably just as Ahsoka finally finished washing.

Whatever mess was left from her washing they would clean up after dinner. Food would do their souls good he thought.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yoda: Helped I did  
> The Force: BRUH!?
> 
>  
> 
> Also two for the price of one this time? I promised folks some QuiGuy and I swear it's next! Right now!


	3. Masters and Padawan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Qui Gon Jinn will not be distracted, he will not let the troll meddle in his affairs like this especially not when the "great" Grand Master hasn't had a Padawan in so long he's probably forgotten what the heartburn feels like from worrying over them, and furthermore-
> 
> Oh hello? And who are you?

Qui Gon Jinn was pretty sure the emotional whiplash he was experiencing was going to kill him.

...

Alright, perhaps that was a tad dramatic, but he was sure it would at least leave a ripple in the living force. And certainly was going to cause a few headaches!

Qui Gon had been ready to either throw Obi-Wan or the troll out a window, he hadn’t formally decided which as he’d stormed to the Grand Master’s quarters to suss out who exactly was pushing for Obi-Wan’s Knighting. But that was only formally and very much a technicality. It was preposterous! His padawan was skilled but was not ready for that responsibility, as was obviously displayed at the boy’s sputtering and red faced demands to take his Trials. Qui Gon was sure his meddling Grandmaster was mucking around in his affairs again. For some reason encouraging disobedience in Qui Gon's Padawan instead of speaking to him like a normal civilized person. So Master Jinn had returned the favor, and hadn’t even bothered to knock. Simply using the force to unlock and open the door.

And, well, yes-he had found a short Jedi as expected but nothing else was exactly right. To start she was rather the wrong age. Then there was the rest of her. The Togruta girl sat sweating on the floor, the humidity of the apartments apparently too much for her to stand if her state of dress meant anything. She wore her small clothes and had a small wash cloth draped over her head, almost like a Master or Knight would let their hood hang low. There were a few soft blocks on the ground around her feet, perfect for learning some of the basics of force control. She simply sat there and watched him curiously, nervously from under her little hand towel. Master Yoda sat nearby his force presence giving nothing away, although there was warning on his face. Not for the girl, but the intruding Master. Qui Gon would have been offended by that as well, as if he was the bad guy here expect-

Every last argument was forgotten as Qui Gon could feel the bond between them as easily as he could feel his clothes starting to stick to his skin. A force bond, a training bond. A strong one at that, one created with purpose and nurtured carefully. His face had lit up, he took a half breath of air that stuck in his throat, and Qui Gon couldn’t help it then; he burst into surprised laughter. One hand going up to try and cover for it, his eyes bright with mirth as he glanced between them. The girl no longer seemed nervous, she grinned back at him as if she understood what he found funny. The outburst was enough to garner a warning in the Force for him, but a thoughtful smirk was sent to the girl.

“Dressed you should be when company is over. Go now, shoo!” Master Yoda said it kindly to his Padawan, even as he hobbled over to his Grand Padawan. “And you, knock you should!”

This was punctuated with a smack to Qui Gon's shins, but honestly it was worth it just to have experienced this moment as purely as he had. Goodness he had needed that! The girl let out a taunting “oooooh!”, and squeaked as Master Yoda rounded to look at her again. She jumped to her feet, turned, and sprinted away to change. It only made Qui Gon snort as he made his way over to one of Yoda's several low, squishy couches. He sat still fighting his giggles down and stretched his legs out until his boots his another chair.

“Younglings!” Yoda huffed with his own growing smile. His gaze fixed fondly on the hallway leading to the bedrooms.

When his breath returned Qui Gon said evenly, “My very, very old grandmaster, you are surely worse than Master Plo.”

Yoda’s ears twitched upwards, but his only defense was to once more declare, “Younglings! Surrounded by them, I am!”

“Yes, by your definition everyone would be much younger I suppose. When did you take on a Padawan, and such a young one at that? Is she even old enough to leave the Creche, or do you now bunk there with her?” It was a grand image in his mind, Master Yoda was always so pleased to be in the Creche and with the younglings. It would make sense that he would enjoy being snuggled by every sleeping child in a giant pile. “You are the right size for it.”

“Yes, yes, lacking your wit is to resort to my height. Perhaps not enough air up there with you hmm?” Yoda waved his hand vaguely upwards.

This cause a renewed burst of giggles from the girl who returned in her Padawan’s under tunic and leggings, although she had left her boots and belt off. Half dressed was better than not dressed Qui Gon supposed. Surprising though, he wouldn't have known she'd returned if she hadn't given into her laughter. He could feel the gentle touches as the Force began to whisper to him. Many things, many, many things. He pulled back gently, allowing the Force to simply do as it would in his subconscious. Current company might protest if he started meditating.

“Take notes young one, this is your future once you hit your full height.” Qui Gon said it as gravely as he could but her force sense was already there testing his, making his act nothing more than a pretense.

It was a bit like being spiritually explored by a puppy, small and warm, easily distracted, and dancing all over him. The inspection was not very Padawan like, but much more like the younglings who were excited and unable to fully control themselves yet. He smiled warmly and softly sent out his own probe. There was a deep well of light within her, glinting like crystals in the sunlight. Ah, now he could understand it a bit more. “I am Master Qui Gon Jinn, Master Yoda’s Grand Padawan, and who might you be young one?”

For all that her signature was open and curious, the girl herself was guarded. Qui Gon glanced at Master Yoda for a moment judging that this was a concern but not yet a problem before refocusing on her.

Suddenly shy the girl played with her loose hanging top, and mumbled softly at the floor.

“I don’t think even Master Yoda’s very large ears could quite hear that.” He said with an encouraging smile, gratified when the jab made her grin widely even if the cost would be another rap from the gimer stick at some point.

“I’m Ahsoka Tano, a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” The end bit had obviously been drilled in and said more out of her uncertainty than because she liked the greeting. “Master Jinn? If you are Master’s Grand Padawan, does that make you my Nephew Padawan?”

Yoda laughed, answering before Qui Gon could say a word, “Your Nephew Padawan, yes, yes! Very old your nephew, hmm?”

Qui Gon managed to catch his tongue before reminding Yoda who the old Master was in the room, and instead simply rolled with the query.“Yes, my Aunt Padawan, and please, as such just Qui Gon will do.”

Ahsoka edged her way over to the couch, clambering easily onto the cushion next to him and then paused for a split second before clambering into his lap. Her contentment coming through as she seemed to shed her shyness again. “Ok QuiGuy.”

Perhaps he was wrong, she was less of a puppy and perhaps more of a cat?

Qui Gon smiled at her upside down face as she settled in, as if he were the most comfortable place to be. It was ridiculous, but he was more than aware that he was now stuck until Ahsoka chose to get off of him. Qui Gon was trapped by the bulk of a youngling, too pleased to broach the subject of his own Padawan’s knighting, and being berated by the troll. Perhaps, he thought, perhaps Master Yoda would be more open to their much needed discussion now that he had a Padawan again. A bit of perspective that hopefully had not started him on pestering Obi-Wan, but would instead give Master Yoda the clarity to see what Qui Gon could. It was petty perhaps to prey on the Grand Master's feelings but it couldn't hurt. In fact, he decided it would help that Ahsoka seemed to like him so much, and gave her a small scratch between the montrals. Ahsoka wiggled and giggled, but pushed up and backwards as if it was the best thing she'd ever felt.

Yes, definitely a cat he thought and obliged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What can stop the angry mountain? Kittens apparently.
> 
> Master Yoda is pleased and hopes this will delay a certain discussion about a young man who should have been knighted a few years ago just long enough to get those trials in and done.


	4. Freedom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-Wan "sneaks" his favorite younglings out for a day at the park and only manages to delay his inevitable soaking by the rain.

Obi-Wan smiled indulgently at his two charges as they all but skipped around the park hurling small nuts and pebbles at one another. Not very Jedi like behavior, but very much in line with their youth. Normally he would have at least tried to intervene, but coruscant’s scheduled afternoon rain was enough to guarantee them privacy in this park. Besides both younglings had the time off, it should be spent **off**. It was also a nice change of pace to take the two of them out together to enjoy some time as friends. His Knighthood had only ensured that Obi-Wan was thrown from one end of the galaxy to the other and always into diplomatic nightmares alone now instead of with backup. It was lonely and terrifying in many ways, to realize that the success of his missions rested completely on his shoulders. Even in his Master’s worst moods it had been wonderful to have someone there. To spend time with these two bright people who were so terribly young and happy was as much a gift to him as it had been to them.

That said, it had been shocking to come back and see how much they had changed over the last few years.

Anakin had hit one of his first big growth spurts and continued to shoot up like a particularly virulent weed. With a more balanced diet, healthy exercise, and probably the sheer relief that came with no longer toiling under twin suns Anakin was starting to look more like the boy he was. While his chubby cheeks were disappearing, and his hair now styled instead of hacked under a bowl, he certainly looked older than most people would’ve guessed. Obi-Wan just knew better. He was becoming a young man, more confident and centered in his life. While Obi-Wan had little to do with that growth he was proud all the same.

Ahsoka had grown taller as well, although not broader which left her distinctly twiggy looking even compared to her gangly friend. Her neck in particular seemed too thin for her now large looking head. Obi-Wan had been concerned enough to do a little research on Togruta growth and was only somewhat mollified that this was apparently a normal phenomenon. Morphisms, apparently didn't care to do things evenly and slowly over time at all. Her facial markings and chevrons had also changed, the blue darkening on her and thinning out on her lekku while the soft blobs on her face began to take shape. Of course she had changed in other ways too, having grown in the force. She didn’t feel like a youngling, she felt much older. He supposed anyone would when their Master was Master Yoda. It was a faint echo of what he noticed in his grandmaster Dooku. A depth that came from being directly connected to the Order’s Grand Master.

And he had changed too of course, his beard had grown in and his hair had grown out. He was probably going to gray early too but he was coming to accept that was his lot. Of course he hadn’t grown even a centimeter taller, he’d hit his growth spurts early in life. Obi-Wan had sprung up taller, broader, and stronger than most other initiates and had positively loomed over most of his creche mates. He’d been rather pleased by it all until he realized he’d capped out early rather than later. By the time he was twenty almost all of his friends had gotten taller than he had, and most of them physically stronger.

As Ahsoka leapt, twisting over Anakin’s head Obi-Wan felt some bemused annoyance.

There was no question at this point, Obi-Wan, once a giant among his peers, was going to somehow be the shortest one in the room **again**. And his two new friends hadn’t even hit their full height yet. Anakin was destine to be a behemoth like Qui Gon, and if Ahsoka didn’t top his eye level her montrals would make up the difference. It was a silly and somewhat petty thought but he was allowed it for the day. He was technically off duty as well. He watched as Anakin spun around and almost managed to grab her ankle in their game. Well, at least he hadn't been pulled into this mess in the name of fun and all that.

It was some variant of push-pull, which only made him fluff up a bit more with pride for them both. Anakin was learning to control his powers, more than he probably would’ve if not for Ahsoka’s rather direct intervention. It was currently their little group’s worst kept secret, the training of Anakin Skywalker was something all three of them did in turns. Of course Anakin had told him and Qui Gon, but asked them not to tattle. Ahsoka was rather proud and nervous about their little arrangement. Obi-Wan was sure the entire temple knew and was simply grateful that someone was tackling the flare ups. Regardless of what any narrow minded individuals might think, Obi-Wan was proud that even now, even on their day off the two were Jedi. Training even as they played.

It helped that this might suitable tire them both out too, allowing a more sedate late afternoon and evening.

Qui Gon and Obi-Wan had planned this little outing for several months now. Ahsoka had a small break in her studies as she continued to pass classes and struggled to find new ones that would accept her. Ahsoka’s age had always been a hinderance, something that was finally starting a few mutters in the halls as she struggled to be what strangers expected when they heard the words “Master Yoda’s Padawan”. Obi-Wan had been rather grateful that his Master had volunteered to work over Master Yoda for Ahsoka’s parole. The fact that he’d said it with such a glint in his eyes made Obi-Wan sure that he didn’t want to know exactly what that entailed. Master Yoda had a soft spot for fewer and fewer people since Master Dooku had, well. As a direct consequence Qui Gon was far from that list, but Ahsoka was rather high on it. It was strange to realize that Master Yoda probably needed Ahsoka right now more than she needed him.

Not that he expected Ahsoka to strike out on her own yet, nine was a bit young for that sort of thing. But if Master Yoda did turn her out some day, Obi-Wan vowed to be first in line to teach her.

Anakin’s free day had been infinitely easier to obtain. Obi-Wan had spoken to his Hangar Chief and formal instructors in the course of one afternoon. He’d even managed to convince them to simply give him the day instead of having him make it up later. Simple compared to some of the delegations and committees he’d been a part of. Obi-Wan supposed that where he was willing to occasionally take an easier path than his Master who was always itching for a challenge. Or a fight. Whichever came first really.

Both men had kept their work a surprise though. He couldn’t stop the smug grin from flitting across his face as he remembered the way Anakin had woken up that morning. Hair sticking up in all directions, a bit of drool clinging to his chin. It hadn’t taken much explanation for Anakin to spring up from his pallet, dressing in record time and be at the door before Obi-Wan even knew what had happened. A bit like a dog who’d seen their owner grab a lead.

Master Yoda had met them with Ahsoka as arranged. Oh, he’d put on a good show; hemming and hawing as if he was annoyed just to see them all. The poor girl had initially tried to sink through the floor, but it had only taken a few minutes for Ahsoka to catch on, what with Anakin unable to keep a straight face. Of course, not even Obi-Wan had kept a straight face when she leaned down to drop a kiss on her Master’s head. Yoda’s surprise had been priceless to witness both in person and in the Force. His two large ears jerking almost upright, and a small contained supernova in the force. Whether Ahsoka realized she had the head of the Jedi Order wrapped around her little finger was up for debate as she didn’t seem to notice her Master’s misty eyes but she was smirking. The Grand Master had finally shooed them away only biding his Padawan to bring back a sack of some sort of candy that was obviously more for her than him anyways.

Unless Master Yoda truly enjoyed whatever a Juicy Jobba Kiss was.

Obi-Wan was somewhat forced out of his thoughts as Ahsoka jumped on his back, only seconds before Anakin rushed forward.

“Hold him still Snips!” Anakin shouted, face red from running.

Ahsoka somehow planted her feet into his lower back using his belt and hauled his arms up moments before Anakin started to tickle him. Obi-Wan barked out a laugh, twisting as best he could before using the Force to dull the sensation. Oh it tickled, but he was able to convince his body that it didn’t. The hardest part became schooling his features into something serious, arching one eyebrow. He tried to sneer as best he could, “Honestly you two, so uncivilized.”

Anakin looked extremely disappointed before looking over Obi-Wan’s head. Obviously consulting with his partner in crime. The two nodded a split second before Ahsoka lept away and Anakin darted back towards a small copse of trees, both screaming, “You’re it!”

Obi-Wan stared in open mouthed surprise as they attempted to disappear. Before he could decide if he should simply pull them out of the trees or ignore them there was a loud clap of artificial thunder. “That’s the rain now you two, come out so we can go inside!”

He could only feel the question in Anakin’s signature before the two apparently chose to double down. Ahsoka vanished completely, and Anakin managed to feel more like a small creature than a massive culmination of the Force. Obi-Wan glanced upwards at the sky. Once the Weather Bureau had chosen a time for the rain to fall it always came suddenly. Today was promised to be a heavy downpour too, the warnings sent all the way through the Under City to try and help prevent drownings and poisoning. But here, on the surface, the rain was safe but for the light dusting of chlorine in it. Apparently perfect for two younglings to get drenched in. He waited a full minute before looking up again and the sky. The clouds darkened and swirling, the electrical lightning from their giant mechanisms sparking through the sky.

With a heavy sigh Obi-Wan shouted once more, “Don’t say I didn’t warn you!”

As the rain started to pour Obi-Wan simply vanished in the Force and into the dry patch below a large shade screen. He blended into the shadows as Anakin shrieked about freezing rain and Ahsoka howled with laughter. The two forgot all about him within minutes as they slid around in the grass and mud. No longer playing push-pull and instead simply running around shouting into the storm. This was good, this was necessary, both of them far too confined in the temple. Stir crazy in fact.

Stir crazy indeed, Obi-Wan thought as the two began flinging fistfuls of mud at each other. The speeder was going to be a complete mess. He was going to be a complete mess. He hid his smile behind his hand, honestly it was fantastic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Real Talk: Everyone is a little more relaxed and happy when Qui Gon is alive (and not a major butt) and Anakin is found a little later not accepted into the order. Honestly, no one was really prepared for that double whammy and things are a little smoother that way. 
> 
> Timeline clarity: Anakin was found when he was 11 and they had already been freed by Cliegg Lars
> 
> Finally: The irony of Obi-Wan "I don't need a break ever why would you even suggest that" Kenobi wanting them to enjoy their time actually off continues to be hilarious. Shout out to that one comic where Obi-Wan tells Ahsoka and Anakin to chill on the beach while he immediately goes to chase a criminal down less than a minute after saying they should all enjoy themselves.


	5. Growing Pains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Growing pains are difficult, but friends make it better.

Ahsoka slowly righted herself. A bland expression on her face, projecting complete calm and confidence as she tucked her hands into her tunic sleeves. The only goal of this particular maneuver was to at least look dignified now even if it was obvious she had not been a moment ago. She tried all right, but it simply didn’t work. She could feel the way her front lekku were vibrating from embarrassment. The way her hands shook and palms grew sweaty. She couldn’t see them but had no doubt the chevrons on her were turning all sorts of colors. To make matters worse Anakin was doubled over in absolutely delighted laughter, all his teeth showing in his overjoyed grin, his eyes watery as he looked back up with the most unstable smile she’d ever seen. His own presence was nothing but mischievous delight in the force.

Worst of all her montrals were still itching so badly that Ahsoka was half tempted to start scratching again.

“They’re just growing in Ani.” Her voice was on full sulk mode and it only set him off worse. After watching him start to turn shades Ahsoka rolled her eyes. She gave him a half hearted shove, finally starting to laugh just because he was. “Stop it you-you bantha!”

“Sorry!” He gasped a half second before he started violently coughing. Anakin gagged and coughed, and turned almost purple from the lack of air. The first time she’d seen this Ahsoka had immediately panicked and called for a healer. The frankly violent coughing was a clockwork reaction though, Anakin had told her once that he hadn’t gotten a lot of good medical care when he lived on Tatooine. They were a poor dustball planet and his family was particularly cash poor, so when they got sick they could try home remedies but often just had to get over it. He’d had a long bought of flus, colds, and bronchitis when he was younger. He’d only gotten medical treatment when it had seemed like he might die, Anakin had shrugged as if this made perfect sense. As if she couldn’t feel the way the sadness and the hurt coiled in him. As if he couldn’t feel the hurt from her on his behalf.

The only holdover, he claimed, was the way he coughed if he laughed or ran too much. Ahsoka had pointed out that he also turned dark red, usually got watery eyes, and was generally useless too. He’d had no problem tripping her into a fountain later that afternoon to thank her for the observation.

It was the way the two worked. Obi-Wan had sighed heavily looking at the two of them on many occasions as he reminded them to keep their rough housing and pranks contained. Usually he said this while whip cream clung to his hair, water dripped from his robes, or something fell from the ceiling. Ahsoka at least tried to be contrite about it, Anakin simply smiled brightly said, “Oops!”

Ahsoka watched as he slowly recovered. It wasn’t a very Jedi like thought as she smirked down at his coughing form, but it didn’t stop her from sending it to him anyways. \Serves you right!\ Oh but it did feel good to be superior. Then her entire head felt like it was on fire and she groaned, hands frozen halfway up to her head.

The problem with growing a pair of horns was how itchy the whole thing was, at times just outright painful. At eleven years old she was finally budding in earnest. Which was great...except for the itching all around her montrals. She can remember, back on Shili, watching one of the only other children in the village who was budding. She was a blue skinned girl with deep gray montrals and lekku who’d rubbed her head up and down furiously against a rock. Ahsoka had thought it was a game and was ready to join her when Zizi had lightly cuffed her for staring. “Wait until yours come in Soka, then we can stare at you too!”

Of course, on the heels of this memory was the firm face of Master Vokara Che double checking a Padawan’s work for Ahsoka’s last check up. The way one brow had lifted as she’d said, “Scratching is only going to aggravate it and cause swelling at their base. No scratching Padawan Tano, we’ll know if you did.”

Master Che had said it with such conviction...Honestly, it haunted her a bit.

Anakin had finally righted himself, still purple-pink from the laughter, but he at least looked more concerned than he had a moment ago. He coughed a few last times, clearing his throat as he asked, “You ok Soka?”

For all that they enjoyed teasing each other, they were friends and friends cared about one another.

Ahsoka whined, the sound gravely and high pitched. She slowly lowered her hands and chewed on her lower lip as she looked back at him. Ahsoka knew she was making desperate doe eyes at him, she just didn’t know what she wanted him to do about it. Even with all his raw power in the force, Anakin wasn’t a healer and couldn’t just make the itching vanish magically. She scuffed her bare foot along the tile, shrugging, hoping to figure something out before making it worse. The wood bookshelf had made it feel better a moment ago but now it felt worse. Ahsoka’s shoulders tensed, twitching upwards as she looked over at Master Yoda’s bookshelf with dawning horror. The bookshelf, which formerly had a dark almost purple gleam to it now had two wiggling lines marking the side of it from her scratching. Permanent, deep scratches. If the itching would like to just kill her now, that would be fine. Ahsoka whispered as she stared at it trying to think of any way to reverse it, “Oh no!”

The bookshelf had been a gift to him, probably one of his prized possessions. One of his only possessions. Ahsoka could remember the excitement she’d felt when he let her clean and polish it when she was younger. He’d trusted her to take care of it, just as he trusted her to take care of everything in their shared quarters. Here she was, five years into her apprenticeship, and she couldn’t even control herself enough to not scratch at an itch. Emotions pinging from one end of the spectrum to the other, Ahsoka sternly willed herself not to cry over this.

She hadn’t heard Anakin move, but he had somehow managed to sprint to the fresher and kitchen to grab some supplies. A split second after he returned, there was a cold, damp cloth carefully draped over her head, and Ahsoka could feel an ice pack on top of that. It certainly didn’t take care of the problem but it at least helped sooth her aching head. Anakin gave her shoulders a light squeeze as he looked at the bookcase over her head. He hummed thoughtfully before patting her upper back and leaving again. Ahsoka twisted carefully so that her ice pack would stay in place and watched as he raided the kitchen. During the first year he’d been at the temple Anakin had cleaved to anyone he could, nervous and worried he’d be sent away at a moment's notice. Now Anakin was more likely to tease her, egg her on, or threaten to beat up whatever was bugging her. Like a big-Ahsoka tried her best to cut that thought off.

That ached almost worse than her head to think about. She didn’t reach inside for them, she had to let them go. But now she was thinking about them and how much she still missed them and how she was supposed to be better than this. Great she decided, why not. Why not, if she was going to do the full gamut of emotions today, why not tack morose on.

She did feel a little better watching Anakin literally bounce around the kitchen looking for something the way she imagined monkeys might. He would quickly dig through each drawer and cabinet then practically abandon it to look elsewhere. Finally he slid under a counter and disappeared from sight.

She heard Anakin’s victory shout a second before he lifted his closed fist high into the air as if he was in some holodrama. Ahsoka rolled her eyes as his sandy head popped up, eyes shut pretending a crowd was cheering him on. Probably all put on for her benefit, and it worked. Anakin almost skipped as he came back and showed her the lone drakar nut in his hand. “It won’t fill it in, but if you rub this on the scratches it makes them turn the same color as everything else. So it, it kinda looks fixed as long as you don’t look too hard.”

It was a sweet and completely Anakin solution.

He cracked the nut open with the Force, a blatantly unfair display considering it had take her almost four years to get any fine control on the more kinetic focused Force tasks. He rubbed the meat of the nut on the bookshelf and just as he said it would the scratches looked much better. She pretended to give it a serious look over before nodding at him. He gave a flourish of his hands, gave a low bow, and then he immediately ate the nut.

Both of them missed the sound of the door as Ahsoka squealed in surprise and disgust and Anakin laughed at her through his small mouthful.

“Ani that is covered in polish, germs, and who knows what!” Ahsoka watched him closely, as if her friend would fall over dead from it.

Anakin just frowned at her, “I’m not gonna just throw it away!”

“You and food, if you get sick I’ll visit you in the healing halls just to say I told you so.” Ahsoka declared, arms crossed and smirking.

Anakin smirked back at her but didn’t get a chance to retort.

“Not very Jedi like behavior my Padawan.” Master Yoda’s voice was stern. He was also very early, which was either a very good or very bad sign for the council’s meeting.

“No Master, I mean, yes Master. I was only joking I promise!” Ahsoka started to bow, felt the bundle on her head shift, and managed catch it moments before it would have burst on the floor. There was an awkward pause where her Master simply lifted one eyebrow as he evaluated the situation.

“Hello Master Yoda,” Anakin’s voice was very small and his force presence had gotten much quieter. His shields wobbling back into place in an attempt to be polite.

Ahsoka could only hope that he’d at least bowed when he said hello. Master Yoda expected a certain level of respect and propriety from most people. Even she had to bow when greeting her Master. Right now though Ahsoka stood ramrod straight, the damp rag and ice freezing in her hands as her whole scalp was lit back on fire. She couldn’t help her awkward shifting.

The tension in the room could have been cut with a lightsaber.

“Drakar nut?” Anakin offered with a small nervous smile. Master Yoda looked back at him without any hint of his usual humor.

Ahsoka hated that, the way her Master seemed to shut down and become the mask he wore when Anakin was involved. She shouldn’t hate it, she did try very hard to let it go. Her fingers dug into her ice pack as she felt Anakin shrink in on himself.

“My montrals were itching and I couldn’t help it, and I scratched the bookcase, but Anakin helped make it nicer again! Well look nicer. Uhm…” Well she **had** wanted to get his attention off Anakin. Ahsoka could feel her nerves going up to somewhere around a thousand as her Master hobbled around to see the scratched side of the book case. “I’m sorry Master, I didn’t think it would mark.”

“Hmmf! Did not think, yes, that I can see.” Yoda was quiet but had that look on his face that she knew meant inverted meditation was in her future. “Appreciate, I do, that try to help young Skywalker did, and appreciate I do that you did not lie. Yes, a good choice you both made; could have been averted if a good first choice had been made hmm?”

“Yes Master.” Ahsoka said, flush once more with embarrassment.

Anakin meanwhile was flaring up, his indignation was clear as a ringing bell, and she could feel him brush a balled up fist against the back of her hand. He was very protective when he thought she was being slighted even in the smallest way. That protectiveness, it was sometimes the nicest thing. But it had pushed away some of the people Ahsoka had thought were her friends. It also pushed all of her Master’s buttons every time.

“Something you wish to say young Skywalker?” Master Yoda asked. It was a genuine invitation, and one she wished he wouldn’t give because there was no way Anakin wasn’t going to take it. And take it in the worst possible way.

It was difficult when the two people she cared the most for fought at every chance, and very unfair. Before Anakin could respond with whatever it was he thought had been done to her, Ahsoka locked eyes with her Master. She thought she sounded very calm and polite as she said, “You promised.”

There was a long, very awkward pause as Master Yoda pursed his lips. But the Force untangled and the heaviness pulled away like a thick blanket of snow melting in the sun. Finally he sighed and nodded, ears drooping low. “Correct you are Padawan, promise I did. My apologies to you both. Young Skywalker, thank you for helping my Padawan correct her mistake. Accept the drakar nut, I do.”

Anakin was left spinning and uncertain in the Force, but he relinquished the other half of the nut to her Master easily. “Thank you...and uh, you’re welcome?”

Yoda chuckled around his small mouthful and nodded more to himself than anyone else. Unlike the two of them, Master Yoda chewed thoroughly and swallowed before speaking again. “Staying for third meal are you? Ahsoka is cooking tonight.”

Relieved but itchy and keyed up, the last thing Ahsoka wanted to do was cook. Maybe spar for the next hour or two and meditate after that in a cold pool. That was beyond wishful thinking and Ahsoka tried to to think of another option. Asking for commissary food was probably pushing things a bit too far though considering her Master had defused the situation. Ahsoka would probably get in trouble if she tried to shuffle cooking onto someone else. She could see the outright smirk growing on her Master’s face as she had to concede. Ahsoka sighed, “I always cook Master.”

“I can help, I used to help my mom cook all the time.” Anakin said it easily and without any worry of what Master Yoda might think of it. When her Master didn't respond, Ahsoka snorted, her best friend’s best friend had to be food.

“Yes, yes, two cooks, twice as fast yes?” Master Yoda huffed as he pulled himself up onto a meditation cushion. A sure sign that he was finished with them both.

“You can taste test the vegetables for sure. We can make...uhm, what can you make?” Ahsoka gently bumped her shoulder into his.

It turned out Anakin was pretty good in the kitchen, even if he insisted on showing her several knife tricks that Ahsoka wasn’t sure were part of the Temple curriculum. He claimed to have learned it from spicers and pirates, and Ahsoka rolled her eyes at every exaggerated tale. By the time they all sat down to eat, Ahsoka had a new ice pack on her head and had honestly almost forgotten about the bookcase.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yoda may or may not be experiencing feelings that would not be unsimilar or much removed from guilt and frustration (not that he is, wow un-Jedi like, he is releasing to the force or something) because he can tell as much as Ahsoka that Anakin was supposed to be a Jedi but, like, they said no and, like, he doesn't want to open that up again. And raising kids is hard and now he basically has two and he hasn't had a kid in decades to look after and ugh. Also for the record, not that we are naming names here, JOCASTA, Yoda does not play favorites with his lineage. Thankyouverymuch, I said good day madame, I said good day!
> 
> Ahsoka is oblivious, but her heart is in the right place.
> 
> Anakin Skywalker is still a clown, but you can't tell me as a kid he probably wouldn't have been more of a clown especially if it would help his friends.
> 
> ...
> 
> ....................
> 
> Ok fine, update time. Next chapter for both Interruptions and The Apprenticeship are written and just in need of a serious look over. Next time we meet the Clone Wars will be in full swing. Joy.
> 
> And, well Zanzi Tano has had a lot to yap at me over the last week, so if anyone would like to see some of Zizi's thoughts on what's going down let me know and he can find some room in this fic to rant about Things and Stuff.


	6. Blanket for your Thoughts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahsoka and Anakin have a quiet moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am a liar and forgot I had this update and a bridge chapter before the Clone Wars. I just got excited to be getting there.
> 
> So here's a small chapter for this, next will be The Apprenticeship where puberty continues to suck and Ahsoka is starting to feel the pressure.

Anakin moaned and tugged at his tunics in barely restrained contempt, he was doing that puppy dog eye thing that must have worked on some one at some point. It had never been Ahsoka, she was sure that had never worked. Besides it wasn’t like there were other places to practice and the humidity wasn't so bad once you left the front room. She’d brought them to her small bedroom, which had much better temperature controls installed in them, and still had to suffer his dramatics. Of course Anakin complained when it was cold, when it was windy, when it was too sunny, and when it was humid. The only thing he apparently enjoyed being a blistering dry heat, the thought of which made Ahsoka’s skin itch.

“You could take off a layer you know.” Ahsoka said it as calmly as she could, trying to at least look like she was at the edge of proper meditation instead of annoyed out of her own mindfulness by his antics.

Anakin looked at her with a deep frown, she had already taken off her boots and changed into the more traditional hunting attire she preferred. When she was going to be in her quarters all day there was no reason to struggle with her multi-layered Padawan uniform. Anakin on the other hand still wore an under and over tunic, a set of leggings, his boots, and his gloves...minimum. So where she was almost cold he was sweltering.

“Jedi wear their clothes you fripping weirdo.” His voice had no sting to it, he was just trying to relax far enough to regulate his own temperature right now. So his focus was a bit off.

“I am wearing clothes, and Jedi do what they need to. And aren’t all that body conscious if you hadn’t noticed.”  Ahsoka smirked at him.

A few weeks back the two had practiced some open hand defense moves, a requirement for Anakin’s education, at the main dojo. After a good session they had left for the showers, and Anakin had grown shy. He hadn’t seemed bothered by other people’s nudity, but hadn’t wanted to use such a public shower himself. It had been cute until she'd realized how deeply that nervousness ran, and Ahsoka eventually agreed they could use the one in her quarters.

Even as she smirked she could feel something shift uncomfortably in the force. Ahsoka twitched before dropping all pretense. “You ok Ani?”

The discomfort became more painful, more suffocating as her friend plucked at his leggings with a frown. “Yeah.”

She couldn’t help the way her brow markings probably shot up under her headdress in complete skepticism.

“Well, I mean I will be. It’s ok, it’s nothing that some time won’t fix.” Each word only seemed to make him collapse in on himself a bit more. His whole head bent down and he avoided her gaze completely.

So Ahsoka considered her options. Anakin occasionally got into a mood like this, where something in him just screamed in pain but he himself would act as if nothing was amiss. She’d learned early on to not just demand an answer, as it only made him feel worse. But if he didn’t say anything then it became a minefield, seemingly innocuous things setting him off. She didn’t want to do that, so she shored up her shields a bit and quietly asked, “Is it...is it ok if I sit with you?”

There was a fuzzy set of memories; her brother had been very emotional. Ahsoka could remember the way he was always laughing, shouting , or crying. He had been a good man who just felt a lot very keenly. She could remember the way he would sometimes sit in their house, a large blanket pulled over his montrals making a blanket cave. Ahsoka would find her ball, or one of mom’s jackets-something soft and squishy. She would rush back to her brother, hiding in his cave, and give it to him. She can remember the way he would smile at her and how he usually let her sit in his lap. He’d rest his chin on her head and Ahsoka would bury her face into his chest. Zizi would close the cave so that Ahsoka was in the warm dark spot with him, often using it to surprise their mother when she got home. It had been simple to help him, he liked cuddling and he liked having someone sit quietly with him. She liked helping.

Maybe Anakin just needed that too?

He looked at her with some confusion as Ahsoka pointed to the spot next to him and then gave an uncertain nod. She smiled and pulled the sheet off her bed before sitting with him. One end thrown over his shoulders and the other held at her side. Anakin chuckled and took the other end in his hand, eventually pulling it in close. She tried to push her love and caring across to him, maybe she shouldn’t be but she did anyways.

“Can we try meditating again?” He asked softly after they had sat quietly for a while.

Ahsoka sunk into meditation easily and helped to hold onto Anakin’s bright form, pulling him into the force as well.


	7. The Arena

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Clone Wars begin with a trap, and for Ahsoka, a bang.

Ahsoka gasped for air, her reserves in the Force gone from fighting off droids and Geonosians. Fighting off her own fatigue. Fighting off the feeling of death and darkness in the force as they died from overwhelming force. Her blade whirled protectively in a green wall, no longer trying to aim bolts back at her attackers, just keeping them from hitting her. Ahsoka had slowly stopped many things as she fought non-stop. Specifically, she’d given up on her prefered ataru stance, it sapped far too much energy for a long battle like this. 

They hadn’t expected it to be so long, so difficult, so unimaginably destructive. It was a trap, this was nothing more than a giant baited trap. 

Ataru would get her killed, she needed defense and shii-cho directed her to block and block and block and block and-

Someone screamed behind her, a sobbing wet sound. She could see, through the vibrations around her, she could see the way they fell. Arms flying up and backwards as their legs collapsed, head snapping as the bolt-and another light gone in the force.

This wasn’t supposed to happen, it wasn’t supposed to happen like this. The Order had rushed in their shiny new gunships with an army of trained clone soldiers to Geonosis as soon as they could. Unwilling to allow two Jedi of the Republic and a Republican Senator to die for sport. Unwilling to let such a public execution take place when the Jedi were meant to protect them. Their presence was supposed to prevent bloodshed. Over a hundred Jedi and a full battalion of Clone Troopers. Over five hundred fighters. No one had seen a Republic force like that in, since...it was supposed to prevent violence. Overwhelming their foes through sheer numbers. Awe of seeing so many Jedi, fear of knowing there were more Clones.

Laughable.

No one had expected a droid army. They hadn’t been able to sense their metal frames below the rock. They had come with over five hundred fighters, but there were tens of thousands of droids. The arena was tiny and had no cover, an endless line of droids marched from the catacombs below them. Geonosian soldiers flew above them firing into their defensive positions. AA guns keeping their ships away. The Jedi and troopers held as best they could.

When they arrived, Ahsoka had been sharing a ship with her Master. Master Yoda had been giving instructions, working with the Troopers, communicating with the other Masters. It left Ahsoka alone with her thoughts, mouth dry and hands trembling. She was afraid. Down in that pit were her friends, Obi-Wan and Anakin. They could die. Ahsoka was also excited, something in her blood singing. Her akul headdress heavy on her forehead. Fighting was in her, in her body and her soul and the Force sang an old song to her when she fought.

A large gaggle of Senior Padawans had been allowed to join this mission. Shock and awe. They would be safe as long as they stayed with their Masters and their Troops.

They were being slaughtered. One by one, the Jedi were dying. The Troopers falling in hordes as they were attacked. If their weapons had allowed for more blood spray the dusty floor of the arena would have long turned into mud.

She didn’t know where Master Yoda was. Ahsoka couldn’t even concentrate to reach out to him on their bond. The sun, loose dirt shifting underfoot, and the pain draining her as the fight dragged on. She’d ended up in another group of Jedi, who had seen her fighting alone and desperately in a corner. They were dying to try and save her.

So Ahsoka swung, and blocked, and shuffled. They had to get back to the ships, they had gotten the blanket retreat signal but had been too far away. She’d been too far away.

“Barriss!” Master Unduli’s voice was like a whip, cracking across Ahsoka’s hazy mind. There was so much fear in her voice. The Force wailed with it, icy cold and mad.

Ahsoka found herself spinning around, almost reflexively cutting a droid in half and could see a figure on the ground. Hands outstretched, glowing as she tried to heal someone just out of the defensive circles range. Ahsoka didn’t think, she just forced her aching legs to carry her to the other girl’s side. Ahsoka made it a goal, a new goal. Defend herself, defend this Padawan. Get back to group. Be safe. Ahsoka deflected bolts and breathed in the smoke and dust. The other girl finally moving on, just to stop at another body. The two of them moved at a fraction of the pace, the battle tearing them further apart from their group. They stopped at every body with breath left regardless of if there was light left. Jedi and clones alike, Unduli’s Padawan (Barriss?) worked furiously to save a single soul.

There was nothing left to save.

Ahsoka squinted, one eye closed as a blast of sand caught her. They were alone again.

“We have to go!” Ahsoka shouted over the din of the fight. Ship after ship leaving. They were going to get left behind. Something was burning and the air reeked of ozone and char thick enough to taste.

Barriss hesitated, before nodding, numbly pulling her saber free again.

Thank the Force. 

The Force was screaming, everything was dangerous, too many sources to follow accurately, too many deaths to count.

Their group was missing, Barriss seemed to be in shock, Ahsoka desperately looked around. She could see another small cluster of their fighters, maybe four Jedi and a handful of Troopers. One of the Jedi turned suddenly, as if feeling Ahsoka’s gaze. Two shocked purple eyes locking onto hers. Elat, Ahsoka’s creche mate. Elat was here. Before Ahsoka could herd them towards her creche mate Barriss jerked down to heal someone. Ahsoka jumped to her side, intent on dragging Unduli’s Padawan out by her ankles if that’s what it took when the explosion threw them both into one of the arena’s walls. 

Her montrals ached and rang from tip to root, her chest hurt. Ahsoka gasped but couldn’t breath as the world faded in and out around her. She could no longer see the shape of things, she couldn’t see, she couldn’t hear, she couldn’t  **_breath_ ** . \Help me!\ The Force was silent. Ahsoka weakly clenched her fists, trying to calm down, focusing on the heat bleeding into her from the floor. Two slim but strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her. Ahsoka couldn’t even lift her head, but to be fair she also couldn’t feel her feet.

It was like watching a holo as her dragging heels left two little lines in the sand, fuzzy and blurred. Distant. Then it was shaded and cool.

Barriss, Barriss had grabbed her, was healing her. Ahsoka was half splayed over the other girl’s lap as it started. It hurt, the healing hurt but not as bad as her chest. It burned and froze and suddenly she could breath again. At least a bit. Ahsoka wheezed. She could breath, and that helped her vision to focus. The galaxy slowly coming back into focus. Barriss’s hands drooped and then the healing stopped. Ahsoka watched the battle smear just outside of their hiding spot, every time she blinked the arena seemed to shift.

A Trooper in blue and white slid into the crevice next to them, rapidly firing his two blasters shouting something at them. Ahsoka could feel the vibrations as the two spoke but she couldn’t hear them. The Trooper nodded and suddenly pulled Ahsoka up and over his shoulder. One hand holding her on his shoulders, the other still firing a blaster as Barriss became a blue blur. She provided them cover as the Trooper broke for the gunships. Ahsoka whimpered at each jolt and jerk but he didn’t let up his grip. The Force howled a warning, more clearly than she’d heard it the whole fight, and she reacted on instinct. Ahsoka drew his unused blaster from its holster and let the Force work through her. The shot slammed into a Geonosian. The bug stumbled backwards, it’s rifle knocked away barking into the air. There was a smoking hole in its shoulder, blood oozing between its plates. The blaster slipped from her fingers, her head to heavy to keep up.

Then they were on a ship, the engine vibrations overwhelming her. Too loud, thrumming in her head.

Ahsoka screamed as she was finally laid out on the floor, the pain in her body, the pain in the Force too much to take a second more of. A sea of white boots jumping aside to make room. There was Barriss’s face full of determination and fear, one hand pressing to Ahsoka’s face. There was the Trooper, one hand holding her shoulder to the floor as the ship jinked to avoid fire.

And then there was finally darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are officially in the Clone Wars! Again, ages and timeline are a bit played with for this story. So, yes, Rex is a hair older than he was in the show. And no, Rex will never let Ahsoka forget this. ("Is this a plan where you go in and I have to carry your senseless shebs out?")
> 
> Please let me know if there is something you are jonesing to see during the Clone Wars as it is mostly going to get addressed here in Interruptions. So if there's specific moments, clones, etc. let me know otherwise they may get passed over.
> 
> Not seen here: Anakin Skywalker fangirling because he gets to fly Senator Amidala home to Naboo and making an impression. Qui Gon choking as he laughs at Anakin's attempts to make small talk. Qui Gon basically raging as he realizes that those two young IDIOTS left him behind to rescue Obi-Wan, as if he wouldn't have been first in line on that ship to rescue his own Padawan!
> 
> Also, as per cannon, Obi-Wan has a rough week.


	8. Anakin "Good Luck Charm" Skywalker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anakin has learned how to better balance his emotions...mostly.

Anakin flipped a few autopilot toggles and popped his neck before turning his seat around. Obi-Wan sat, completely smooth in the force as he meditated. Nothing in the newly minted Master’s appearance would make one think he was about to dive head first into a violent war. His traditional robes were crisp and clean, his face serene. Directly next to him was a trooper from the 212th, a man who Anakin only knew snored if the gentle sounds from his bucket were anything to go by. Captain Rex and an Arc Trooper sat quietly at the far end of the shuttle, no sound but the way their hands moved and the shifting of their bodies was a dead giveaway that they were simply using their comms to talk. Anakin smiled, he had a soft spot for Rex at this point, having flown the good Captain quite a bit since joining the 501st.

Anakin hesitated to say he was glad for the war, but the war was good for him. He’d been promoted, headhunted, demanded after. His skills at the helm of any ship or shuttle earning him a place where his belated discovery had not. He was not an unknown mechanic, looked down at by the Order and ignored by regular citizens. He was a Jedi in the GAR. The only difference was he wasn’t Command track, which had counted for exactly nothing in the field. The men knew him, and followed him. After a few missions with the absolutely insane 501st Anakin had put in for transfer. He fit right in, adopted by a horde of Clones and finally respected by the Jedi. Ahsoka had started calling him General as a joke, the whole damn Legion seemed to hear about it and just rolled with it.

“Hey,” she’d said with a laugh, “just means I don’t have to call ALL the shots now!”

Anakin had laughed, but he kept an eye on her. If anyone needed someone to watch their six, it was Ahsoka. So he watched and helped as he could. Calling in favors and trading upgrades to try and make things happen for her.

So it was Ahsoka that had been catching his attention during the flight. She sat hunched over, fingers wound together and eyes down. Not a great sign. Anakin forced himself to just observe her for a moment. She was wordlessly speaking, something to herself, her presence in the force was heavily muted. All signs pointing towards nervous dread, a state he didn’t see her in often but one that usually had a good reason. Anakin only spared a half second to think of propriety before moving to sit next to her, letting their thighs and arms touch as he imitated her posture. Ahsoka didn’t startle, but she did smile and continued speaking to herself with eyes closed now. He put his eyes forward too, giving her a chance to finish.

Anakin kept his own presence studiously still and calm.

Ahsoka had once told him, years ago, that his presence in the force was overpowering. That was why he had more official training from the Order than the average force sensitive did, and also why they were so harsh about his flare ups. That he was overpowering at a neutral emotive level, and that it got unbearable when he was emotional in any direction. She’d admitted that she didn’t mind when he was happy, that it was a bit like getting tickled. Just that too long in it could be like when someone wouldn’t stop tickling you. He’d been distressed and Ahsoka had chosen that moment to stick an image in his head. 

“Imagine tickling Master Yoda.” she’d started and they’d both burst into laughter. Whatever analogy she had been aiming for was forgotten as the two of them laughed themselves sick.

She’d told him later that she liked knowing that he was happy, that she was happy just to know that he was.

But Anakin had started thinking after that, thinking about how his moods and projections could help instead of hinder those around him. When Ahsoka had been upset one afternoon, complaining viciously about Master Dooku and the way her Master argued with him, Anakin had made his move. He tried to still his own growing anger at the way both “venerated” Master’s had belittled his friend. He tried to quiet the fear that he would do this wrong, and the apprehension that she would hate him for it. He instead had focused on the happiness he felt when Ahsoka smiled, or Obi-Wan laughed. The way he felt when he was flying a shuttle or working on a droid. It was complicated and difficult, to shift shields around to block this and not that. He stopped listening and just concentrated. He didn’t want to feed her his anger, he didn’t want to make anyone feel worse. He would make her feel better. He would balance it out. He imagined sitting with Qui Gon on Tatooine, his mother making a sweet cooling tea, as the wizard spoke of the Chosen One.

Anakin didn’t know what to think about the prophecy, he didn’t even think about it most days. But he remembered the way the world had shifted, the way things had felt smooth and light and just so very...right.

Ahsoka had touched his leg, suddenly drawing him back and leaving his head spinning a bit. She looked worried.

“Did it work? I mean, do you feel any better?” He’d asked.

“Kind of? You were a million miles away though.” She had a small smile, the unasked question hanging there.

“Did it tickle?” Anakin had asked seriously, glad to hear he’d helped but wanting to gauge it more. He needed a scale, to test his theory multiple times and know if he was succeeding.

Ahsoka paused, and then suddenly smiled and grabbed his hands. “It was like a hug.”

Now he sat with her again, touching and letting peace flow from him to her. Helping to balance her out from whatever had twisted her up. He didn’t ask, well, tried not to ask what had happened but something must have leaked through. 

“I miscounted, we do have six.” She whispered it to him, keeping the silence of the shuttle in tact.

“Ok, basic math aside that means?”  He squinted at the textured floor. It didn’t mean he couldn’t feel the way she rolled her eyes.

“Six is a lucky number Skyguy, I was only thinking about the five of us on the ground but with you here, there’s no way this mission won’t be a success.” She bumped him with her shoulder. “Nice to have a good luck charm for once.”

Anakin laughed loudly, unable to stop himself, “Can you talk to Master Windu on my behalf? Can I use you as a reference? Anakin Good Luck Charm Skywalker.”

“Oh hush!” She grumbled as the clones glanced at them.

Anakin only laughed harder. Jedi were weird, always claiming there was no coincidence or luck, all is what the force wills, but here was one of their best speaking of lucky numbers and superstitions. He was used to the clones doing little chants, touching bits of the wall or door frames, once they had been convinced that a Jedi touching their hair was lucky. Anakin had accidently gotten a line of shinies who had learned that he was technically a Jedi, and all of them stood with their buckets off with hopeful smiles. If he could be a good luck charm once, why not twice?

“What in the world did I miss?” Obi-Wan’s almost sleepy sounding voice only set Anakin off worse. Knowing that their combined emotional outbursts must have dragged him out of not a deep meditation but in fact a deep slumber. Obi-Wan had become a master at sleeping sitting up.

Anakin immediately started to cough, gripping at his side.

Ahsoka was beaming in the force, even as she punched him. “Anakin is taking things out of context and being an ass.”

“Yes, I know, but what did I miss?” Obi-Wan asked again, eyes twinkling in merriment.

“There’s, there’s six of us, I’m lucky!” Anakin managed to choke out around the chest rattling coughs.

Obi-Wan must have stared at Ahsoka with enough confusion because she answered probably more defensively than necessary, “Look, six is twice as lucky as three!”

Rex nudge the Arc with a snort, “Hear that Fives, you’re one off from being an asset.”

The bleary 212th man finally woke up from all the noise, “Yessir, what asset?”

Anakin gagged through his next bout of coughs as Ahsoka burst into laughter next to him.

Obi-Wan put on an air of being put upon as he stood and went towards the co-pilot's chair to take a shift, “All right settle down younglings.”

Anakin managed to gulp down at least some air as he leaned back, knowing that his pure giddiness was probably triggering everyone else, and not really caring. It was a nice change of pace from the normal gloom and doom. It was nice just to pretend for a few minutes that they were just average people. “I’ll settle down when I’m dead!”

The troopers all groaned, dying was not to be discussed en route or else you could call it on yourself. Rex dipped his bucket as if anyone could see his grin. Ahsoka rubbed at her forehead, eyes closed as if in pain. Anakin was still grinning even as he cleared his throat, and leaned back. He knocked Ahsoka’s knee with his own and whispered to her, “No take backs, you said it I’m lucky.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear I'm not dead, just been struggling to write recently. Here's probably my favorite chapter from these side stories, the one where everyone gets to be happy for once. :D
> 
>  
> 
> Meiloorun, I am trying to work out some Citadel mission stuff right now, thank you for the suggestion!
> 
>  
> 
> See you all in the next chapter!


	9. Insecurity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anakin is, what else is new, a bit insecure in his personal relationships. Obi-Wan, what else is new, feels guilty.

Obi-Wan tried to hide his sigh as Anakin fidgeted with his coveralls. Honestly, at twenty years old it was amazing how much Anakin looked like a boy. Kicking his feet, tugging at his clothes, scowling with apple cheeks at the scene before him. It was cute, and deeply frustrating as Anakin’s shields failed to hide all of his annoyance. Obi-Wan gave Ahsoka a small smile /nothing to see here young one/, and placed a hand on Anakin’s back. Obi-Wan pushed him physically into walking, and steered them out of the hanger bay. Obi-Wan also pushed mentally at his wayward friend.

/Let her be happy./

Obi-Wan maintained his bland smile as he worked to cover the holes in Anakin’s shields. He spared only one glance to see his reddening face and crossed arms, and immediately began looking for a room that they could speak in. For all the leaps and bounds Anakin had made, for all that he had managed to stop his overt flare ups, he was still young and learning. Obi-Wan had gotten proficient at hiding Anakin’s faults, but even he couldn’t maintain his own image of calm with this sort of blow out building. Obi-Wan slipped, and half dragged Anakin behind him, into the first available conference room they came across. The afternoon sun left long shadows on the floor, deep lines from the half drawn blinds.

He was exasperated and unimpressed by Anakin’s insistence on sitting on one of the shadowed cushions.

“Alright then, let’s have it.” Obi-Wan was pretty sure he’d said it gently, trying to be sensitive to whatever it was that caused this.

The way Anakin’s head snapped up, the way his jaw jutted out, and definitely the way he snarled let Obi-Wan know that he’d most likely failed. Anakin slumped further into his seat, face half hidden now too. “It’s nothing.”

Obi-Wan tutted as he opened the blinds and sat on the cushion across from his seething friend. “If it was nothing you wouldn’t have been trying to murder Master Plo with your winning personality.”

Somehow, Anakin managed to sneer and frown even more at the mention of Plo’s name.

“Maybe it’s something he’s done, you always assume I’m the one causing a problem!”

Obi-Wan fought down an urge to snap back at him, burying the response. He loved Anakin, loved him more dearly than most. Anakin was his little brother and his best friend. That didn’t mean he didn’t occasionally want to scream at him for being foolish, stubborn, and self centered.

“What has he done besides steal Ahsoka’s attention from you?” Obi-Wan silently cursed himself for that one. Way to dig a hole Kenobi.

Anakin was up like a bolt, stalking back and forth like a caged animal. “You just think I’m being needy! It’s more than that, if you’d actually listen you’d know that!”

_He is not your Padawan, you cannot insist he conform to some standard you set, let him get it out here, thank the stars he didn’t blow up like this at Ahsoka-_

That could have been friendship ruining. Ahsoka had always been terribly fond of Master Plo, as her Finder the two of them would always have a special bond. It probably helped that she had an open and obvious force bond to him, and it definitely helped that Plo was so very fond of her. As soon as the two were within a kilometer of each other it was like that bond tugged and pulled until they were standing together again. Ahsoka smiling with pure adoration and Plo’s proud smile reflected back at her. Obi-Wan wasn’t sure what he thought of their bond besides it being good for Ahsoka during this war. It wasn’t typical, and it should have been removed or dissolved ages ago. When he’d first met Ahsoka he’d been rather scandalized to realize how strong that bond was. Deep and maintained so well that even at a young age she’d send Master Plo feelings or thoughts, always trying to get words across to him. Obi-Wan, freshly Knighted and feeling like he was missing something important, had gone to Master Yoda to report the bond.

He’d always regretted it. He had learned more about Ahsoka’s finding than she had ever volunteered. That was **personal** and he’d just gone around her willy nilly. When he’d admitted to her what had happened, Ahsoka had been confused over his guilt and that had only made it worse. She had been so young.

“Anakin, if you would actually tell me what was wrong instead of hurling accusations I would be happy to listen. Right now I only know that Ahsoka and Plo and dear friends, and do not need you glowering at them when they haven’t seen one another in a long time.” Obi-Wan forced himself to take a deep breath. “My apologies if it seemed that I was attacking, it was not my intention to do so.”

Anakin ran a hand through his hair and tugged at the strands. “It’s not-I just, I don’t like the...what kind of friend is he to her anyways?”

As he spoke Anakin’s shielding came back to life, sharing nothing more than a distant energy. Like bubbles surfacing from somewhere deep below.

“That’s a question better suited to Ahsoka. He is her Finder, and she his Foundling.” Obi-Wan tried to hedge his bets, and only found Anakin’s temper flaring.

“That would be my point Obi-Wan. What kind of friend is a Finder to their Foundling? None at all.”

There was a pause as they both collected their thoughts. Anakin’s pacing finally burning into a low brood and Obi-Wan’s posture slumping into something less standoffish.

“Most of the time, that would be correct. But...Anakin, I do mean it when I say this is Ahsoka’s tale to tell alone, but you need to understand. Master Plo saved her when he found her, and the two bonded instantly in the Force. Honestly, everyone was surprised that Master Yoda became her Master as all signs had pointed to Master Plo instead.” Obi-Wan gave a weak shrug. “The bonding between Jedi is not usually so sudden and when it is...well, typically those two become Master and Apprentice.”

Obi-Wan wasn’t sure what Anakin would say to that, he expected anything from pleads to demands.

Anakin instead asked a simple question, “Would you have been my Master then?”

It felt a bit like they’d gone off a cliff. Or maybe Obi-Wan was in freefall while Anakin watched in vague interest. What the hell?

“What?” Obi-Wan helpfully added out loud.

Anakin seemed to shrink in on himself suddenly. “Master Jinn may have been my Finder, but you and I bonded almost...if the Council had accepted me. If they had let me be a Jedi, would you…”

Oh. _Oh._

That night, that night had been awful. The Force had told him, it had shown him Anakin in his Padawan habit, it had whispered of their future together, two parts of one whole. He had been confident in the decision the Council would make, enough to leave and sleep instead of being there for Anakin when it all came crashing down. His faith in the Force had not been rewarded that night.

“Oh Anakin.” Obi-Wan quickly stood and gripped at Anakin’s shoulders. Looking into watery blue eyes and so much uncertainty. “I would have been **honored.** ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 6 for The Apprenticeship is finally, FINALLY written and just in need of a once over for last minute edits. I have a load of chapters for Interruptions to follow, and then we'll be in the final stretch! Right now I'm estimating 2 or 3 more chapters to the Apprenticeship, and a third story for the series to be added after everything is out there and posted.
> 
> Y'all, I appreciate you hanging out during the dry spell. I'm gonna do my best to ration these out intelligently so I can finish up the last few chapters, so fingers crossed we will not have another empty patch.


	10. Boom Goes the Dynamite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hardcase knows how to juggle, Echo likes the thrill, and Fives fumbles the bomb. It's a really good thing their new Commander finds them before anyone else.

Fives huffed as Hardcase swiped the detonator right out of his hands. First, it was rude, and second **it was a live detonator.**

Sure, he’d cajoled Echo into helping him modify it so the ordinance was less world shaking and more about covering everything in a twenty foot radius blue; but that was besides the point! As Hardcase grinned madly at the little destructive ball, Fives conceded that thirdly no one should ever let Hardcase near any sort of explosive. As much as he’d wanted to get this plan rolling and had been thrilled to finally get some damn buy in-he wasn’t sure this was worth it.

“Perhaps,” Fives said, unable to wipe the grin off his face, “this was a terrible idea.”

Echo shot him a sour glare. “I told you it’s against the regs-”

Hardcase snorted and Fives threw his arm around his brother’s shoulder, desperate to invoke the spirit of Cutup to keep things moving along. (Nevermind how much that sounded like a Bad Idea). “Echo, this isn’t about the regs!”

The slight tip of Echo’s head was a definite rebuke. Well that was Echo’s prerogative as Five’s ori’vod, and it was Five’s prerogative to show the world how much fun they could both be.

“Fives, it’s always about the regs, otherwise we wouldn’t have them!” His voice was stern as anything but that little sparkle in his eyes said otherwise.

Hardcase took this chance to reveal the other two detonators he had on him. Detonators which he was expressedly banned from ever getting to touch again because stars above we answer to the public. Detonators which he immediately began to juggle along with their own modified one. If Captain Rex wasn’t going to kick their shebs for their own little creativity project, they were both definitely getting it for letting Hardcase touch three explosives without prior permission.

Fives saw his short life flash before his eyes and was rather disappointed with the lack of himself on posters with fans swooning around him. “Careful there vod, don’t want those going off now.”

Hardcase laughed. “I thought that’s what you two were gonna do, paint the town red was it?”

Fives frowned, “Blue, we were going to paint the town blue. You on the other hand-”

Echo elbow made solid contact with Five’s ribs, his own frown in place as he watched the three detonators.

“Oh relax, one of these is your little painter and the other two are just dummies.” Hardcase continued to juggle even as one of them began blinking clearly showing it had been activated. “Well I’m pretty sure they’re both dummies. Anyways I have to say I’m impressed boys! How d’ya make one that just sprays paint anyways?”

“Section 10, paragraph 1 on handling munitions and explosives-” Echo started.

“It’s a secret!” Fives said at the same time.

The two glared at one another as Hardcase laughed, clicking detonators on and off as if he wasn’t in danger of blowing his own hand off. Blue paint or not.

“Gentlemen.” That was the voice of steely command, and definitely was not one of them.

Fives snapped his head to the side to see a Jedi watching them with a deep frown. She was shorter than them, a Padawan by the looks of it, but she was also still a fripping Jedi. While Fives felt his heart give a lurch in fear, Echo slammed into a perfect salute. Smart man his brother. Fives quickly followed suit and watched as Hardcase fumbled in his peripheral vision for the detonators.

“Alright, first, you are all aware that you are in violation of GAR regulations, Coruscant law, and abusing your leave correct?” The Jedi spoke plainly and easily, and any hope that she wasn’t in the GAR yet was dashed.

“Yes sir!” All three spoke in tandem thanks to their training. Afterall, no use lying when you were literally caught juggling explosives.

“I see.” She paused, hands clasped behind her back, “What’s your unit gentlemen?”

Fives manages to catch Echo’s eyes for a second before they both slightly turned their heads a to look at Hardcase for help. They would need a miracle and if they were going to get one they needed their best liar on hand. Forget all that Fives had cursed Hardcase for his hazing when he'd first joined up with the 501st, they needed Hardcase’s silver tongue and ballsy nature. Help me Hardcase, Fives tried to think to him, you’re our only hope.

For all Five’s is sure he hasn’t developed telepathy Hardcase seems intent to ignore him anyways. Instead he sizes up the Padawan. Confirmation that none of them have developed telepathy comes when Hardcase squares his jaw and gives a sharp nod.

“501st Legion sir.”

Hardcase, you bantha, you’re dead to me!

She nods, lekku bobbing slightly with the motion and breaks into a smile. “Understood, just a few Navy boys out for a night of fun, who I definitely didn’t see doing anything overtly wrong. Probably best not to do it again though, at least not without proper command level permissions.”

There’s a beat as they start putting the pieces together and Fives feels a smirk twitching at his lips. Oh, oh she had them good. Her shoulders relax and the steel in her melts away instantly, revealing a young teenager apparently ready to join in on their fun. “I’m Padawan Ahsoka Tano, I’ll be working with the 501st for the Christophsis campaign.”

Echo bursts into a fit of laughter before saluting again. “Yes sir, thank you sir! You’ll be first on our list to ask in the future Commander Tano sir!”

One last piece finally clicks into his head and Fives can’t help the somewhat incredulous surprise from flying across his face. “Wait a minute, are you and Anakin Skywalker friends?”

She hesitates, smile somewhat freezing and Fives knows he’s caught her. Instant payback. How lucky can a Trooper get? Anakin was batshit mad and about the only Navy boy that any of them liked or trusted. From all his misty eyed tales, Ahsoka was at least as reckless as Skywalker but apparently also a miniature god. Fives could believe it, after all, he was pretty sure getting blown up on Geonosis would have killed most people. Ahsoka Tano had apparently shook off the dust and, according to Anakin, kicked Seppie ass. Fives can feel his face aching from how big his smile is getting. Of course they get caught by the one Jedi that probably won’t turn them in for it!

“...Yes?” Ahsoka says it slowly, her head tilting as she half asks instead of stating.

Fives pushes Echo’s shoulder and takes Hardcase’s elbow to the other side of his ribs.

“So, you could definitely answer some of our...questions?” Hardcase asks.

Ahsoka doesn’t get to answer before Fives chimes in, “How about we put these away and find ourselves a little spot to eat before we ask anything huh?”

“Bribery.” Ahsoka deadpans.

Echo shrugs, “Well, to be fair, we aren’t asking for favors or sensitive intel.”

Fives fumbles for the detonators as Hardcase wraps an arm around their new Commander’s shoulder and shoves the three little balls in his general direction. The four of them watch as one of the detonators rolls out of his hands and into a grate.

Paint the town blue indeed.


	11. Tea Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Qui Gon would really like to catch a break, but he'd settle for just an afternoon tea.

Qui Gon paused outside of Obi-Wan’s quarters and heaved a sigh. Of course, it wasn’t enough that he had decided to have a nice quiet evening with his former Padawan. The Force seemed to be having a bit too much of a laugh at him, something that became more pronounced the longer the war dragged on. Behind the door was a worried Obi-Wan, an angry Anakin, and an anxious Ahsoka. Not that these states of being were unique to any of them, in fact Qui Gon was rather concerned that this appeared to be their default settings. It was a horribly selfish thought, but he had honestly just wanted a calm afternoon of tea with his Padawan. He hadn’t meant to spend it coaxing two teenagers down and building a new Master up. He was tired.

 It was a terrible thought, Qui Gon knew, but it was true.

Qui Gon had staunchly refused to be involved in the war once he’d learned that diplomacy was not even being considered. The new Chancellor seemed power hungry, and was heavily reliant on the Order to do his dirty work. And the Jedi Order, much as it had for the last few centuries, bowed. It was infuriating. Qui Gon had let the Council know in his usual composed manner that he would have none of it, which was to say that he had gone in and shouted at them ad nauseum until he’d practically been thrown out. He’d been immediately shipped out to Kamino as thanks.

Kamino was...wrong. In almost everyway that counted. The men themselves were just about the only thing that didn’t make Qui Gon want to scream. There was something terribly wrong there and he just didn’t know what it was. Yet. His talents in the living Force were being put to good use at least.The constant watching, spying, and even subterfuge had left him exhausted. Qui Gon had never been more relieved to be recalled from an incomplete mission, as Shaak Ti had soothed his frayed nerves and easily slid into the role he’d had for years. She somehow managed to ingrain herself immediately with the troops, men who had like him well enough but never looked at him the way they looked at Shaak just two days into the transition. By the end of the week men who finally “softened” enough to call him Master Jinn instead of General or Sir were whispering to each other with familiarity about Master Shaak.

He’d left knowing that the investigation wasn’t over, but that it was at least in good hands.

The last half year had been spent running various missions for the Order, but that exhaustion had never left him. The Temple was by no means a silent place, but it was quiet in a way that other locations were not. As the war dragged on and more and more Jedi were killed or sent into the fray...well, the Temple had become too damn quiet.

He’d missed the camaraderie in a way he’d never known he could. The simple hellos passed amongst his cohort. The way he could so rarely find an empty table in the commissary. Now, Qui Gon was lucky to run into one of his agemates. He was excited to greet people he knew, walking with them to help keep the conversation going. He was relegated to sitting with mostly younglings and Initiates who should have aged out in the commissary, and trying to calm their fears without getting angry himself.

Most of all, he missed the shared consciousness they had shared at night. Jedi were creatures of the Force, existing primarily in the here and now. Sleep, traditionally, brought not dreams but a sense of what his fellow Jedi were doing. It brought peace, a trance like a light meditation. He could float on the waves of the living Force and just...be. Some Jedi easily drifted, going too far back or forwards. Visions. Obi-Wan had suffered them terribly although the dream visions had stopped years ago. Anakin rarely saw anything in meditation or while awake, but was plagued with visions while he slept. Whenever he snuck into Qui Gon’s quarters as a child to spend the night, Anakin would pull Qui Gon into these eddies. He’d been tired and unsure how to help, only able to shield others from sharing such strong pulls. Qui Gon remembered feeling horrible for Anakin, that a child should bare such a burden.

Now, without enough living Force to sustain their minds in sleep, Jedi had begun to dream. Those on the front lines had begun to have nightmares. And in sleep everything came and was shared.

Qui Gon was tired. Tired of helping Padawans through night terrors, tired of seeing the horrors the war brought, tired of the endless suffering they endured. He was old, and tired, and hated that it seemed so selfish to want peace when no one else had any. That what was once common was now selfish beyond reason; to want an afternoon with just his former Padawan and no one else.

His fingers tightened around the boxes of tea and snacks he had carried, the digits cold and nearly cramping.

He breathed in deeply, pulling all the joyous memories of the three Jedi inside to the front of his mind. Obi-Wan’s proud smile as he completed an obstacle course with the fastest time. Anakin’s excited babbling about the pod racing scene on Coruscant, eyes bright with his passion. Ahsoka's endless questioning as a youngling, her nose scrunching in distaste if she objected. It calmed him, revived him, centered him.

Well, if he couldn’t have a quiet afternoon with his Padawan, at least he could have a loud afternoon with his Pseudo-Padawans. After all, they had all trained together and they all worked together rather well. It had gotten to the point that people unaware of who they were assumed there was a lineage there. If Qui Gon didn’t wish to spend his afternoon getting drug through the muck of the war, then he was simply going to have to lift the three of them out of it. He let all of that determination seep in before opening the door.

“QuiGuy!” Ahsoka shouted, easily leaping out of her seat to hug him.

The boxes tumbled into Obi-Wan’s sure force grip, and Qui Gon laughed. “Hello my Aunt Padawan, you must’ve grown at least another few inches while I wasn’t looking!”

Anakin snorted even as he forced himself up to start the kettle, a small smile working its way onto his face and his anger finally abating. “The boots add an inch.”

“So do everyone's.” Ahsoka said over her shoulder, her anxieties evaporating like a fine mist from seeing them all in one place. A fake annoyance replacing it as Anakin stuck his tongue out at her.

Obi-Wan’s worries uncurled, replaced with fond exasperation. “Thank you both, but may I please say hello to my Master?”

“No,” The two said in unison. Ahsoka faced forwards again and refused to let go, Anakin simply went over and joined them while sticking his tongue out at Obi-Wan for good measure.

Qui Gon let himself be pulled to the couch, the energy in the room propping him up for the first time in months. Reciprocal energy. He simply laughed and gave Obi-Wan a half wave.

“Greetings Master Kenobi!” Qui Gon kept his tone as professional as he could through his building smile.

The sour look he was shot was worth it.


	12. Padawan Lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahsoka is a survivor, and so is Kalifa.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter involves some descriptions of kidnapping, slavery, and a brief mention of potential child abuse and rape. Nothing graphic or detailed in any way but wanted to give a fair warning to anyone who could use it.

Ahsoka remembers what it felt like when she woke in that particular cage. It was made from heavy solid metal, a single weld holding it shut. The bars were almost perfectly perpendicular, and a similar size and shape. They were rough to the touch biting like sandpaper. The whole thing was obviously made low tech, and probably by hand. The spot where they had welded the cage shut had several large, smooth patches of metal all around it. As if the metal had bubbled up, building on itself like a stalagmite into some monstrous lump that dripped from the seam down the bars. Her hands had moved automatically to feel out the space and Ahsoka had soaked in all these details in a daze. Her mind detaching from her body, making notes and trying to come up with suggestions.

The cage was so small that even sitting, with her legs jammed uncomfortably up to her chest, the bars dug slightly into her body. Ahsoka slouched, trying to sit up straight had knocked her montrals against the metal showing her everything she needed to know and hurting her. It was dark, it was cramped, the cage was making her arms ache.

She could hear something far away, muffled and high pitched. Sobbing? Ahsoka slowly shook her head, rubbing her lips against her rough spun trousers. It wasn’t her. It was a distant relief. She wasn’t crying trapped in this cage in the dark. She wasn’t crying?

Ahsoka remembers distinctly that she cried when the bounty hunter took her.

Slowly her world righted itself to her present situation. She was almost seventeen, not three. The cage was small but not as small as she’d first thought. It was dark because there were no lights on, not because of a robe. There was sobbing and crying, gasping sounds, awful sounds from many people.

 \You can use the Force.\

Right. She’d forgotten.

Ahsoka stretched her senses out as best she could, although it comes sluggish and slow. There are at least a dozen sentients in the room with her.The sounds bouncing around the room helped to feed sensory information back to her. Everyone she could see...they were all so small, so young. Children. They were all children who had been kidnapped. Ahsoka’s memory of her capture was fuzzy. There was a sound, then danger screaming in the Force, and pain. Pain she’d felt only a few times before as she was electrocuted in a net. Her breath sapped from the pain all white hot and yellow, and a trandoshan’s grim smile.

(He had reeked in the Force, death and blood, his teeth gleaming in the low moon light before holding up his left hand. The Force whispered in her mind, danger.  _ A storm breaking, do not drown. _ The pain hit again and again.)

Ahsoka has to wait, breathing and gathering information. There is no way out, there is no obvious path. The Force whispers to her.

_ Not hopeless, but futile. Stay put, stay safe. _

She half whines and half chokes at the message. Of course. Of course, why not? Of course.

One of the children is screaming now, begging and shouting. The sobbing gets worse in response and someone else is hissing at them both to shut up unless they want to be killed.

But something feels wrong with that, sure slavers might kill a particularly violent and unmanageable slave but not children. A child they will beat, torture, rape-but not kill outright. Children get good prices on the market, she knows that for a fact. Children can be molded into whatever the owner wants. A dead child earns them nothing.

Slaves are all herded together, implanted with transmitters and bombs before being taken away. Slaves are shackled together in low cost binders and crushed together shoulder to shoulder. This is different. They are all in separate cages, cages that would hold even a wookie, that’s far more expensive than simple binders. There is no transmitter or bomb that Ahsoka can sense in her body.

 If these aren’t slavers then what do they want?

Ahsoka’s stomach flies into her mouth as the floor beneath her opens suddenly dropping her at least twenty feet. The sun is blinding and water sparkles brightly, white sand catches her as she falls. There are flashes of colors behind her eyes and it burns. Ahsoka scrambles as soon as she’s hit the ground, eyes screwed shut against the painful light and full of irritating grit. She can still roughly see where to go thanks to her montrals and has made it to some sort of jumbled vegetation, trees or vines, she can’t tell, before turning and squinting at the carnage. Blaster bolts sing through the air, garbled shouts and soft thumps as body after body falls. There is a girl, a jumper, running in a zigzag pattern towards Ahsoka. There is a crackling boom and blood blossoms out of her back and her chest, a look of pain and surprise on her face as she collapses into the sand. Her breathing is ragged as her head tilts up, two pink eyes lock onto her own. Ahsoka has barely started to move towards her, to pull her into the safety she’s found, when several blue blaster bolts streak into the girl's back.

Ahsoka takes a hesitant step back, as the weight of the deaths hits her. It’s hot and dry and the sand underfoot leaves her unsteady. She palms useless at her belt, where is her lightsaber, how could she have lost it? No, it was taken. Distantly she can hear the heavy clanking steps of the droids and the buzz of Geonosian wings; and she knows they aren’t here. She tries to focus her breathing. Maybe she was drugged? Someone grabs her and launches them both improbably high into the air. Ahsoka can feel the Force seeping from them a bright light, a strong thread, a Jedi.

The Jedi is a human girl, she can’t be much older than Ahsoka is. Her clothes are torn and ragged, her face is too thin and covered in dirt. The smell of sweat and blood is overwhelming but Ahsoka gags only once before getting slapped. Hard.

 It snaps her out of it though.

Ahsoka shakes her head and turns in the iron grip on her arms to look back out at the beach critically. She ignores the bodies, ignores the lights winking out. She’s been on battlefields and she has to think of it like one. In the distance, over a large body of water, is a ship that bobs lazily back and forth. She can hear repulser pods floating and drifting around over head. She counts the different colors of bolts and listens to different barks of guns. There are at least three pods, each manned by two or three people each. The ship is probably where they dock, slowly orbiting the planet. The beach she came from is littered with bodies but clear of most large obstructions. No cover. It’s a pure killing field. Why capture them if the ultimate goal was just to kill them off?

The grip of her arm tightens but when the Jedi realizes that Ahsoka isn’t trying to escape she doesn’t drag her away.

Ahsoka swallows hard and gives a decisive nod. There’s nothing they can do to save the other children out there. They could pull them all into the tree line and then what? Ahsoka doesn’t know the resources here, she can’t even promise that they would survive the pull without cover. They can’t pull them to this tree branch without giving away their position. Ahsoka turns and takes another look at the Jedi. A long ratty Padawan braid still hangs from her black hair, and her face is hard and pinched.

“You have a hiding spot?” Ahsoka asks, forcing herself into Commander mode.

“Yes, follow me and don’t look back.” Her voice is deeper than Ahsoka expected, but pleasant and smooth.

Ahsoka leaps through the jungle after her. “Alright, I’m Ahsoka, what’s your name?”

“Kalifa.”


	13. Anything You Want

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahsoka recovers from Mortis, even if the Son and the Daughter haven't exactly finished fighting over her soul.

He promissssed you to me, he promised me your body and your mind; your soul. You will allllways belong to me. It has been foretold. It has been sssssealed with your blood and the Chosen One’s tears. You are mine. Mine. Mine. Mine!

It’s nothing new, this whispering voice. It’s been there since Mortis. Since the Son-and Ahsoka fights it. She fights him. She’ll fight until it fades. She was told that it would fade. The darkness would eventually burn out of her. Perhaps she’s fooling herself but the alternative is to give in, and the idea of giving in even a hair to some form of Sith magic makes her skin crawl. The Force hisses _warnings_ to her and Ahsoka is not so foolish as to ignore the Force.

The voice won’t leave her though. Her voice. Hers...alone.

She’d seen a vision, herself grown full but distorted. The skin too tight and the motions all wrong. It was like watching something try to mimic her and failing. Succeeding? The Force had been whipped into such a whirlwind that she didn’t know what it was. Beyond the obvious warnings it delivered. Beware the darkness. Are you...happy? How could anyone be happy in this war, how could anyone avoid the darkness encroaching on them all. Her heart pounded with the thought.

A **seed** that’s burst into a sapling, g r o w i n g roots and

s

i

n

k

i

n

g

deeeeeeper and deeper . You cannot resist such power. You WILL LET ME IN! It reaches beyond your grasp. There is no need to _fear it_ , it does not taint you. It improves you and I...I can help you. I can give you anything you want! All you have to do is give me what was promised. He promised me! Anything you want.

When they finally ripped free of Mortis’s grip space had tilted around them in dizzying swirls and eddies. Reality reasserting itself, hiding itself, balancing out. Ahsoka’s vision doubled as she looked around the cabin and startled as she looked at her own hands. A faint rim of golden light seemed to swirl along her skin, broken and darkened by the shadows. Just for a moment. Just for a moment. Then she’d been back and whole again. Ahsoka was pretty sure she could sleep for...forever. She wanted to sleep for the rest of the war. She’d died on Mortis, and it had been both wonderful and terrible. More sensations than memories of her time in death. She’d known that she would rest though, that she would finally rest and be finished. No matter the fear and the pain she would be done. And she’d woken up.

Perhaps the others do not see what we can, hm? (Blind) The way this war drags on. The way the Senate is complicccccit in perpetuating it. The way the Order is **crumbling** apart. And then there’s you. Fake, _all you_ portray an illusion. You _are,_ smoke and mirrors. Half _trained_ _and_ **abandoned** by your Master. You are mine! I would never leave you, not like him. When was the last time you saw him? When was the last time you were _worthy_? I...I can make you worthy again. I can make the mask real. Anything you want. You can have the power you need, the power you deservvvvve. It can all be yours. Stop pretending you care! I can give that to you, anything you want.

As if the whispers hadn’t been enough both Anakin and Obi-Wan treated her as if she would snap at any moment. As if the Son was still controlling her. As if she couldn’t remember anything instead of the flashes that snapped at her heels. Flashes of-

Pain, pain, pain. Anger. Despair. Anakin’s pleading face as they fought. The way her lightsaber always got close, so close. The feel of cold smooth stone in her hand.

Ahsoka was content to let them think she didn’t remember anything. Hoping that in time she might forget. She wasn’t sure if she would break anyways, something in her aching and calling out. Keening and whimpering.

And the Son chose her. That was the worst part he chose her. Had she been negligent somewhere in her duties? Had she not completed her tasks, worked on her connection to the Force, truly desired the best for the people in the galaxy? Had she not worked to rid herself of anything that could turn dark? All the blood, sweat, and tears. All that effort. Wasted? Something in her dark enough to call to the Son, something weak enough in her to succumb to his poison. Something in her pathetic enough to desire his help. The fear that there is something in her that she is ignorant of, that a single part of her could possibly have desired it. She didn’t want this, she doesn’t want this. Something hissing in the back of her mind, maybe you did.

Let. ME. **IN.**

She avoided them and she avoided the men when they returned. Ahsoka locked herself into her room after first meal and meditated trying to find herself again. Trying to reconcile who she was with who she was supposed to be. She wanted to make Master Yoda proud, she wanted to prove that he had not made a mistake in choosing her. Her heart pounded hard and heavy against her chest, in her throat, in her head. Ahsoka clenched and unclenched her hands to try and release her fear and her anger. If Master Yoda believed her ready for Knighthood, why wouldn’t he Knight her? Why treat her like a Knight but not…? What was wrong with her?

Everything. But (Anything, anything, you desire) you can prove to your worth. Worthless-Your true worth. Your onnnnly worth.

For all her silent meditation Ahsoka finally gave into the Force and found herself falling.

She fell, not in the traditional sense, Ahsoka fell into herself-toppling head over heels and crashing through liquid glass. She fell past the entirety of space, black and speckled and beautiful. She fell through the durasteel hull of the Revenant. Soldiers exploding into dust and starlight seconds before she would have hit them, terminal velocity leaving her shaking and struggling to find her bearings. She slammed into her own body again with enough force to crumple to the floor. A scream caught between her teeth, arms wrapped around her middle, feet kicking along the floor.

Why couldn’t she just stay dead? She was grateful to be alive. Life seemed very simple just a few years ago. How bad was it that she could pine for the good old days not even five years passed? She was so tired.

She grit her teeth and stilled her body, let the pain and the heat flow through her. Leaving. Leaving, leaving, leaving. A smooth warm heat. Gentle and steady. Mint and honey tea. New nerf leather ready to be worked. Her crystal warm in her palms. Warm and steady and light.

The whispers were still there, unrelenting mumbled threats and half formed suggestions. All just on the edge of her hearing and fading away moment at a time.

_Worthy._

Ahsoka slowly sat up against her bunk, closed her eyes, and let herself drop into the Force.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At least three more Interruptions here and then I will finish out everything back over in the Apprenticeship.


	14. Citadel Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahsoka meets another shadow man and displays a shocking amount of control over it.

Tarkin has no shields. It’s not uncommon among civvies, but most Senators and all of the Troopers get classes and tutoring and learn at least a very basic shielding. Just enough to keep their thoughts quiet and unobtrusive to Jedi and telepaths. It is the polite thing to do when you take a position of power as you shouldn’t go around with your mind screaming its secrets. It’s awkward when something comes across that the other wants hidden. And Tarkin...Tarkin has no shields.

His thoughts carry large and loud, not brushing against her mind so much as slamming into her senses. They are inky speakers and rotting crystals, sour blotchy notes. It’s rude, and it’s distracting, but he doesn’t **know** any better. He should have taken a class when he became an Officer in the GAR. Ahsoka wonders how Piell deals with the constant intrusion, or if he has let it slide because of the access it does give. A wave of sensations and half formed emotions crashes over her, something bubbling angrily under her skin.

He doesn’t know better, she reminds herself, he doesn’t understand what it does. Ahsoka keeps that mantra as she ducks behind the next bit of cover. She keeps her eyes on Master Obi-Wan’s back as they work towards the canyon split. Echo's bag of detonators weighs heavily on her back and Tarkin-

She knows him. She knows him in a way she never wanted to know another person again. Tarkin is an icy lake, depths unknown, and full of dangers. The ice looks solid but it’s thin; a trap. At any moment he is prepared for one misstep and he will swallow them whole. Tarkin is _dangerous_ in a way very few are. But he is an Officer in the GAR, Ahsoka clings to that desperately. He is an Officer just like her, like Cody and Rex and Ponds. Like Bly, Mefu, and Barriss. She hates comparing them to Tarkin, to lower them to his level, but she needs something to lift him up or else Ahsoka will jump into that lake.

She won’t survive that.

“Alright everyone, stick to the plan! Piell you’re with me. Tarkin with Ahsoka.” Obi-Wan’s voice is just loud enough to cut through the air, it hovers over them with the oppressive heat of the planet.

Ahsoka bites back on her desire to whine about it, just desperate enough to beg for Obi-Wan to take Tarkin instead. Take the shadow man with you, you are light, nothing but light, you will burn him up to nothing! Instead she nods her head, a hard stone behind her ribs. “Yes Master.”

Tarkin balks, “She is just a child!”

Ahsoka feels that stone turn into magma, burning her whole body. She can taste ash on a sweet fall breeze. There is a diamond, then a planet, a ziggurat against a coal grey sky. She slams her shields up as her vision blurs, unaware of the world around her as the Force washes over her. Ahsoka fights for her life. Against the Son’s vile whispers. Against Tarkin. Against herself.

Her Master had explained this mission to her in grave tones, reaching out to take her hand in his. Two large green eyes staring into her soul. “Prepared are you?”

Ahsoka had been shocked to be offered a spot on this mission. The Citadel was no place for a youngling, no place for a Padawan. The Citadel was steeped in darkness and pain. It was a place for Fallen Jedi. For Sith. Master Yoda wouldn’t have said a thing to her if he didn’t believe she was ready, if he didn’t believe she was strong enough for the task. He was trusting her and she wanted to be worthy of that truth.

“Yes.” She’d said it with confidence, and had flushed with joy when her Master pushed his pride in her over their bond.

She was not prepared. Of course He was here, where darkness lurked in every atom. Ahsoka thought it had been burned out of her, every last drop of poison had burned clean and taken her own darkness with it. But He was here and she could feel Him trying to coax her body into obeying him. To make her a puppet. Ahsoka kept her mouth shut, unable to hear what Obi-Wan was saying, only seeing the way that Tarkin sneered at her. She hated him-

Something inside her, swollen and bright, burst forth washing the Son away. Ahsoka didn’t gasp, she didn’t have breath for it. _Careful, careful, careful._

The seconds ended and Ahsoka felt like a snapped rubber band. She blinked hard, suppressing a shudder as Tarkin whirled to march down the canyon ahead of her.

There was something very, very wrong about Captain Wilhuff Tarkin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay on this chapter folks, I had a bit of a meltdown mid week and just took some time off everything to get realigned.


	15. Cover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rex is more observant than most enlisted men give him credit for, and he doesn't like Tarkin much at all.

Rex peeks around the corner, letting his scope and bucket send him every scrap of information they can get. Outlines of cover, heat signatures, electronic scanners, vision adjustment and enhancement. He needs to remember to thank Skywalker for the mods, Rex has always trusted in his armour to protect and his bucket to get him intel. It’s just that this most recent update is a miracle worker. It reacts quickly and easily to his eye movements and subvocal commands. Seamless integration with his training and genetic enhancements. Another nifty feature was being able to record and playback ultrasonic sounds in his hearing range in essentially real time.

So while his eyes and HUD scanned the tiny rock corridor, his external mic picked up Ahsoka’s high pitched trilling.

That had been a rather clever trick on Skywalker’s part, and one that the Commander had hated. Sure she might claim Jedi tranquility, but get that girl alone and she was happy to tell him exactly what she thought about his sneaky little cheat. And if he wasn’t such an upright person, Rex might even have repeated a few of those phrases right now.

The mission had been directly from the Jedi High Council, locked under their highest code words. An undercover group had been sent to get the codes for the Nexus route and had succeeded. Those codes could easily turn the tide of the war. Problem: the team had been captured and sent to The Citadel. From all the specs they’d covered, all the security measures, back ups, choke points, and more...The Citadel was a death trap for anyone trying to break out. Almost impossible to break in. It had made all the hairs on his neck stand on end honestly. In private Anakin had sneered, “Jedi.”

It was just another thing to consider really, that Jedi could preach compassion while using a place like The Citadel. Something he’d tucked away to look at later. The mission comes first after all.

General Kenobi was the mission lead and had already selected members of Ghost to go with him. But the nature of the assault called for another squad at least, and really, there had only been one option for both skills and availability. General Kenobi had admitted to Rex and Cody in private that it had cause a massive fight in the Council. Master Yoda had to shock them back into action by putting forth that Ahsoka was ready for her trials and that this mission should be evaluated for them. This was no place for Shinies, no matter what kind they were. Rex hated that Commander Tano was anything but. Hell, almost no one in the war was actually a Shiny anymore. If a trooper survived even half a month on the field, that was automatic Rookie status.

When Commander Tano had finally been assigned to the 501st, she’d been a hair green but more than prepared. She’d grown with them over the last two years into a solid leader. Hell, she was giving Skywalker a run for his money with loyalty among the troops. Not that Anakin seemed to mind that much, jumped up planet jockey just wanted to fly. Honestly, it was his fault for being such a fine tactician, being an overachiever, and for having such uncanny luck. Good or bad luck was still hotly debated.

Rex huddled down at the next blind corner, checking again.

What he would give for a little of that Skywalker luck and charm right now.

“Honestly I don’t see the point. The enemy is unaware of our location and if they are going to appear there’s not much we can do trapped in like this.” Tarkin huffed, and it would have been more convincing if the Captain wasn’t still using his cover.

There was another ultrasonic growl from Ahsoka.

He’d learned, oh Rex had learned quick, to trust Ahsoka on her judgment of character. She had an uncanny ability to tell when someone was simply no good, or when someone had potential. From giving them all warning with Krell, to letting Ventress flee. Rex didn’t always like it but he could count on it. The moment Ahsoka had met Captain Tarkin she had been on guard and on edge. Rex adjusted accordingly and gave out the command to keep an eye on their enlisted boy. There was good reason that the vod didn’t like Navy boys and Wilhuff was a prime example. Arrogant, selfish, conniving, and bigoted.

“Some of us would prefer to make it back,” Jesse grumbled into their private channel.

Ahsoka didn’t even look at them as they moved to the next choke point. “Shouldn’t be much farther to the detonation site, and once that blows you will get your chance to run in the open while getting shot at.”

“Lovely, was there truly no other option?” Tarkin asked even as he easily moved with them.

Rex refused to even be a hair impressed that the man was keeping up so far. He wasn’t a civvy and this wasn’t a cake walk.

“We could always take him back, come up with a new plan and try again.” Tricklock chuckled darkly. A small cluster of snorts and laughter washed over the comms.

Rex could feel a headache building. “Cut the chatter.”

“No.” Ahsoka hissed at the same time and got them moving again.

Thank the stars it was silent after that to the blast zone. Rex quickly handed his pack off, his heart squeezing for a moment as he did. Echo was supposed to lay the charges. He hadn’t deserved his fate on this forsaken rock. Ahsoka signalled him and the two quietly conversed as the team got set.

“Sir?”

“Keep an eye on Tarkin will you? He’s...Tarkin doesn’t know any shielding.” She pauses for a moment to worry at her lip before continuing, “He’s just waiting for someone to screw up and I don’t know what will happen when this all goes even more sideways then it has.”

Rex gives her a better critical look from the safety of his bucket. This is his friend after all and she deserves his thoughtfulness. She’s not telling him this as his Commander but as a comrade, as a little sister.. Well, Rex did fill the role of big brother rather well. “I already was. Just make sure you don’t go jumping in.”

She flashes him a rueful grin. “No promises, his face is just a tempting target.”

Rex laughs, “It is that isn’t it?”

The team clears the blast zone and they all hunker back down behind their cover. Ahsoka hefts her lightsabers, waiting for the blast. Rex lifts his hand, waiting for the signal from Kenobi’s team. Two clicks, three, two. His hand drops, the charges blow, and he takes some solace in watching Tarkin flinch reflexively at the blast. Ahsoka’s green and yellow lightsabers provide a target as she rushes ahead. The men concentrate on the tinnies, and he concentrates on the man whose only saving grace is the numbers stored in his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who got indecisive over which version she liked? 
> 
> Two more interludes and then back to the main story line!


	16. We All Have Choices to Make

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pain.
> 
> /Yes/ Mace took a deep breath, his eyes fluttering closed for a moment. /We all bear that burden/

Master Windu snorted in amusement, rubbing lightly at his forehead with a small grin. Padawan Ahsoka Tano wasn’t known for lying, but her ability to bend the truth in any direction certainly was helping her story be that much more entertaining. In that headache inducing Yoda’s Lineage sort of way. After all, if Master Yoda hadn’t taught her then Jinn must have. Or Obi-Wan. Force knew it wasn’t Skywalker, man couldn’t lie himself out of a paper bag despite his ability to lie his way into a sarlacc pit. Of course it helped that Tano had a broad sense of humor and wasn’t completely afraid to flaunt it in his face. Mace glanced up at the young woman, watching her hands move in large arcs and sudden jerks.

Well what do you know? Refreshing to see her smile for once. Especially one aimed at him, Mace was somewhat convinced that the only reason Padawan Tano hadn’t tried to push him out the tower window was to appease her own Master. To be fair he’d been tempted to drag her to the nearest salle and literally beat a little sense back into her head more than once. And that was just in the last few days.

Ahsoka had been pulled from the field. Sure the official reason was so that she could finish her last few required classes and actually have a break from the fighting, but she knew a bit too much about the Council to let that sort of reasoning stand. She also knew enough not to ask him outright. He’d followed her around, like a rather unbecoming shadow, and simply observed her. Watching her and the feeling the way the Force flowed around and through her. Her interactions with others, her habits, her foibles. All of it was under his silent scrutiny. It had been his way of trying to give her a larger voice, after all, most Jedi would have ignored her outright if he’d so much as sniffed wrong at her opinions or ideas. Mace could see her mounting unease and frustration with his presence but she also couldn’t exactly demand he leave her alone. Master Yoda was off planet and he’d assigned her to Mace’s care during this time.

Oh he’d nearly laughed when she’d been informed, her normally relaxed stance puffing up in indignation. Frankly, Mace was rather surprised that Ahsoka hadn’t exploded with all the injustice she projected at that moment. She had grown up seeing him, knowing him better than most Initiates and Padawans did. Better than most Knights even. So she understood the implications well enough. His mind drifted as he once more searched for the right time to explain his presence to her.

Today had been more amiable between them, culminating in their little evening chat. They both sat near the top of the east spire in one of the open windows overlooking the city. Mace let his legs hang off over the ledge only shifting to take the occasional puff on his tabbac stick. Ahsoka had stared in open mouth shock the first time she watched the curls of sweet and spicy smoke around him. He’d been this close to snubbing it out of annoyance when she asked if she could try it. Brat. He’d shrugged and waved some of the smoke at her face. Padawans, always pushing all the limits. Now Ahsoka was at least used to it enough to demand they be by an open window or outside if he was going to light up, which was the only reason she was sitting next to him tailor style. 

_ Soon. Tonight. Now. _

Mace felt something snapping and breaking, a moment of opportunity lost and taken.

Ahsoka slowly faltered, sensing his change in attitude more than the eddies of the Force that swirled around her in constant spirals. Her voice died away, smile slipping off her face, and her eyes hardened. Mace hummed thoughtfully when she refused to look away. She held herself rigidly as she dared him to break eye contact. He was not going to be mad dogged by a Padawan.

“Alright Tano, what exactly is it that you think I’m here for?” He kept his voice soft, even if the tone was hard.

Ahsoka’s head tilted slightly to the side, the first sign that she felt there was a trap about to spring around her. She had always been an interesting child to him. Even at seven years old, she’d frowned at him and declared that Council Members were always tricky. Now at seventeen she didn’t need to say much about it at all. The darn head tilt was just a giveaway that should have been trained out of her years ago. Ahsoka leaned back on her hands and finally looked away, glaring out at the passing speeders as if one of them could answer his question for her.

Mace had little tolerance for those who believed they deserved special privileges and less for those shirking their responsibilities. He gave her time because he wanted her to answer him honestly. If Ahsoka wasn’t flying recklessly off to the rescue, she was projecting her emotions to anyone nearby. Her sibling Padawan had become a Sith and their enemy. Her best friend was barred from the Order. Her whole cohort of Padawans were dying in droves. That last one had become depressingly common amongst the Jedi, worryingly common in fact. It was Ahsoka’s habit of attaching to anyone who even bothered to smile at her that was his bigger concern. Those sorts of thoughts and fears...that could get much worse when a Jedi simply invested their emotions into everyone around them.

“Ignoring me is not a valid tactic.” He added drily after a few minutes before turning to look back out at the twinkling lights of the planet. Better to let her feel a bit less put upon. After all, he was giving her the option to not talk right this second, even if he never gave her an option to be silent.

_ Pain. _

/Yes/ Mace took a deep breath, his eyes fluttering closed for a moment. /We all bear that burden/

The Force pulsed with it, grotesque and writhing. Rays of light bursting into shadows, icy hot shards behind his eyes. Drowning, drowning, drowning. He can feel heat building underneath his fingertips as she works her jaw. He doesn’t allow his mind to even wander towards her’s at all. Let her think, let it build up and burst forth. Whatever pus and blood that has been clogging her, let it be drained away on her own terms. The fear and the pain and the anger.

Ahsoka sighs heavily, nearly gasping on the end as if she’d forgotten to breath at all. “I don’t know...spiritual check? I keep having near misses and everyone keeps saying I’ve gotten more emotional...and you had misses too, worse than mine. I think. I just, I miss the way it was before.”  

Mace can feel everything spool up around him, tension ratcheting up to its maximum. He laughs, he laughs and cradles his aching head in his free hand. Force preserve, of course that’s what she’d think. No wonder the Force had gotten so uppity with him today, she absolutely needed to know this  _ now _ and  _ not later _ . /Yes, I hear you, I am telling her now./

He can feel the way her embarrassment simply bleeds around them, washing away some of her anger and fear. Water between fingers no matter how tightly clenched.

He gets control of himself quickly enough. How afraid has she been of falling and for how long? When Mace looks her in the face again he feels no mirth. Ahsoka visibly shrinks under his gaze.

“Those are some hoops you made your logic go through. I’m here because Yoda can’t be, and because we are both worried about you. Not for that though.” He tapped some ash from the end of his stick before continuing in a completely different direction, “Noticed you haven’t been running off with your friends lately.”

“When did I have the chance?” She asks incredulously.

Alright, so no one exactly has the time to sneak off during a war. But Ahsoka had always managed to find time to be with friends or to make new friends wherever she was stuck. He knows it’s unfair to the young woman in front of him. But sometimes it’s hard not to remember all the times he’d watched her crash a group of Jedi, start them laughing, eventually steal their food or hide in their robes, and often being returned to Master Yoda from someone’s pocket. It hard to think of her and not immediately wonder what mess he’s going to be cleaning up. She’s been holding herself too rigid. Ahsoka waves her hand to try and dissipate the smoke, scowling at nothing in particular.

Mace dipped his head in acknowledgement. “Alright that’s fair.”

They wait again in silence and Mace finally decides that Ahsoka would probably rather become one with the cold stones of the Temple than continue guessing. So he turned and focused on her fully, but before he could even open his mouth she had transformed back into Padawan Tano.

“Thank you, I am grateful that you and my Master are keeping an eye on me. But I assure you it’s unnecessary.” The words weren’t stilted, they couldn’t be after all of the negotiating and politics that she’d experienced as Master Yoda’s apprentice. Still, it was beyond formal and it was so counter to who he knew she was. That and the way she simply yeared in the Force was a bit of a dead giveaway. The fear close behind.

_ Pain, worry, help. _ /I’m trying, give it time, not yet, not yet/

“I thought,” he drawled, “that I was her for spiritual checks since you are of so close to darkness?”

As she’d grown her ability to physically hide her emotions had crumbled. Mace watched as her lekku trembled and the chevrons began changing shades. Some embarrassment but far more  _ anger _ . Kriff, maybe he should have been doing some spiritual checks after all.

“If I’m not, then why am I grounded and why are you here?” Her voice sounds like stones grinding together. Her shoulders have tensed even as her arms dropped nearly limp to her sides.

Mace lets her radiate it out, drawing on it carefully, subtly as he can to help free her of it. What have they become when every Senior Padawan feels like this? When even their best and brightest seem shrouded.  _ Finally _ he starts coming around to the point. “Do you remember Barriss Offee?”

It’s more rhetorical than anything else, the two had become friends after their experiences on Geonosis. Which made every long silence between missions that much worse he was sure. The Second Battle of Geonosis had been a terrible thing for them. Mace Windu was a Jedi Master, so he was also one of the greats at keeping up with Temple gossip. That was why he’d sought Offee out a scant month before.

Ahsoka’s presence curled back up into itself. Hiding away from him, considering. “Of course.”

Force help him with sensitive Padawans. “ You two have a lot in common. Heavy responsibilities, traditional Masters, and you are both being treated as Knights because you can both operate at that level. Neither of you are Knights formally, but everyone treats you like you are. That’s a compliment Tano.”

The Force was heavy and slow to react, like a beast that had gorged itself and could barely move. Then it sagged with the weight of her realization. The Council had spoken many times about Knighting her, she was over a decade into her apprenticeship and proven more than worthy. But so many Padawans had by their old rules and they had become more and more concerned as Padawans became Knights. There was no one replacing them. The creche was small and quiet. They were trying, the Council was trying so damn hard to maintain balance in the Order and fighting this war. Tano, Mace watched the way she shifted as something draped over her in the Force. Something passed them. Something beyond them had turned and the universe was quickly spiraling out of all their hands, but it had paused to press on her. Lean on her? So many missed chances...

“What are you trying to say?” She asked even as she turned to watch the speeders again.

Mace snubbed his stick out, putting the butt into a pouch on his belt to throw away later. “The Council has been discussing your Trials, and if you have already completed them or not. We needed Yoda on Kashyyk, make no mistake, but it certainly has made it easier for us to talk about your future in the Order without him there to sway anyone.”

For a moment he watched her falter under the weight.  _ Pain. _ Mace could feel himself half sucked into her mind. She was five years old with Master Sullus and a serious faced Jal.  _ What do you want to do in the Order? Where do you fit? _ She was seven and proud to be Master Yoda’s Padawan as long as he would let her.  _ What are you training for? _

Mace added, “There have been some concerns raised over your emotions and specifically the way you so freely express your affections. Some fear you ignore the rule of attachment.”

There were ghosts there. The green hint of Qui Gon, the solid bronze of Obi-Wan, the blinding white of Anakin. Blue and white. White on white. Diamonds on diamonds. Hurtful but not unsurprising that Yoda was there, a quiet background easy to forget.  _ She belongs. _ /Does she want to?/  _ Please. _ /It is her choice./  _ please. _

Ahsoka swallowed thickly and for one moment he could see her half standing under it all. Ready to collapse or ready to spring forth.  _ Now. _ /Give her time/  _ Soon. _ /Soon/

“I only have one question for you, one I’ve gotten an answer back from Offee already. Take your time and understand there is no wrong answer here, you don’t have to tell me right now.” Mace waited until she was looking at him to give her a fond smile. “Ahsoka Tano, do you want to stay with the Order? ...take your time Padawan. The answer from that can lead down many different roads.”

He stood fluidly, and gave her a slight bow before leaving. As he walked a tensions broke and a new one formed. Ice and fire crackling and splitting. Reforming. Something new. The potential she had to be something new. The danger that came with that. The warnings of it.

_ Pain. _

He hoped she would overcome it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want more good Windu out there. I think my version is up for debate on that scale, but man I really like that guy!


	17. What are Friends for?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Very few people were right when Ahsoka was accused of bombing the Temple. Not the Council for agreeing to expel her. Not her Master for severing their bond. Not her friends who worked against her. And not Ahsoka for trusting the wrong Jedi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> People make mistakes, some are just more costly and selfish than others.

Ahsoka forced herself to stay at a leisurely pace as she walked towards the broken transport shaft. Well, leisurely for any lower class citizen of Coruscant. Be determined, be straight forward, keep your head down, don’t stop for anything you don’t want. So she shouldered past all the crowds gawking at that monitors displaying her own scowling face.

\I am just like you, some random worker, I am no one special, I am not noteworthy\

When Ahsoka ran, the first thing she had needed was a disguise. She’d quickly found a discarded jumpsuit that slightly too big for her and covered in stains. It smelled terrible and was threadbare. A perfect disguise that didn’t scream Jedi. She’d stolen a pair of goggles off a man’s belt and swiped a few strips of fabric to wrap around her lekku. She didn’t like stealing, but she liked the idea of being carted off to death even less. As disgusting as it had been, Ahsoka had even wiped grease, grime, and who knew what off one of the buildings to rub on her face and hands. All of it done quickly and as quietly as she could.

She couldn’t be found, not now. Not over to the military courts. She still remembered looking down at Dogma as they turned from the defendant’s stand. His head held high even as they walked him to the post. It had taken them less than an hour to convict him. Less than an hour. Ahsoka wasn’t going to survive going before them, and that had already been true before Tarkin had been put in charge.

Ahsoka slipped through the next crowd like wind through trees. Be here and now. Here and now.

She quickly checked in the force that no one was watching before slipping past the metal door to the defunct shaft. The large twisted door had been hastily built, as so many things were on Coruscant. Cheap but heavy enough to stop speeders. Just not built well enough to keep out individuals. Obi-Wan had taught her that trick, to look for the gaps to slip through. Here and now. Ahsoka stared into the darkness, making out vague shapes on the other side of the pit; broken machines and homeless tents. Technically no one was supposed to be here, but once you got down a few hundred levels it really didn’t matter much what you were supposed to do. Ahsoka clenched her fists and ignored the few people who glanced at her, instead she moved quickly to stand at the lip of the pit. Her montrals told her the shaft continued down without obvious blockage for at least another level. Better than nothing. Better than here. 

For a moment Ahsoka flashed. Qui Gon stood far too close for her comfort, everything in his stance tense and wary. His hands stretched out, one to the side and one towards her. “You need to trust me young one. I will not let anyone hurt you Ahsoka, you know that.”

She’d stumbled backwards as he took a hesitant step forward. He couldn’t promise that, not after Master Yoda-he couldn’t promise that!

“You have me on your side. You have Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Plo. We will protect you, but we can only do that if you stop this now. You must come with me.”

Her eyes fluttered as she pushed away his slight force suggestion, and her heart hardened. Whether he’d meant it or not didn’t even cross her mind as Ahsoka turned quickly and-

Ahsoka leaned onto her toes, bouncing slightly as she looked into the inky darkness, before simply letting herself fall off the ledge into the darkness below.

No one tried to stop her this time.

The air howled as it whipped around her frame. Ahsoka had learned to control the way her echolocation could disorient during a drop but it never stopped the way her stomach flew into her throat each time. Veritable thousands of vibrations, pummeling her mind with images of the walls as she fell. All the fine little cracks in the foundations, all the chipped bits of paint and stone. In a way she could feel the smoothness of the walls and heard the repeated whump of signs like a bass line. It was overload, but the slightest turn inward was worse.

She could feel the way Master Yoda searched for her. The pounding on the door. The disorienting pull as she fought him off. The funny thing was that if he hadn’t cut their training bond, he would have been able to find her anywhere. If he hadn’t thrown her aside so quickly he could have captured her easily.

Master Yoda was strong in the Force, but not even he was strong enough to revive a bond at such a distance. And there was no way he could form it without her consent.

Ahsoka had looked at him in the Chamber of Judgement, desperate to understand. He had sat directly above her but never looked at her as he spoke their verdict. One made without letting her even speak. Her head jerked as her beads were pulled off but Ahsoka felt nothing but the sudden severing of their bond. The shooting pain that ran from her head down in jagged lines to her chest. The Temple Guards had caught her before she fell, holding her up and dragging her out. The Order had thrown her out, her Master had thrown her out. He’d severed the bond in front of the entire Council just to make a statement.

Ahsoka was never letting him back in.

She just wished that he would stop distracting her while she was attempting some death defying Jedi stunts, trying to suppress her presence in the Force, and still sussing out what her next steps were. It was a little difficult to do already and he really wasn’t helping. Neither were her emotions. Her Master’s voice whispering softly along with her, “There is no emotion, there is peace.”

Ahsoka took her emotions and shoved them into the little space she reserved for battles. She froze them solid in ice.

Level 1400.

She tilted her body, using a small Force pulse to push herself towards the wall. Then used another pulse to slow her descent against the wall. Her hands and feet pressed against it too. Flecks of paint and crumbling duracrete danced under her fingertips.

Ahsoka landed heavily and rolled a few times to avoid taking any hindering damage. She found herself skidding to stop on her ass in an empty area. She didn’t get a moment to breath before Yoda was pleading with her.

/Please let me in/

\ _ Leave _ me alone\

Ahsoka stood up stiffly and quickly trotted away from this shaft. The next one was about a mile away. She needed to get there without alerting any residents or the searching drones. She needed to go deeper. She needed to disappear.

_ Hide _

Ahsoka eventually turned onto a busier alley, one filled with stands and carts selling hot food. Smoke and salt, creamy soups, sizzling fatty cuts of meat. Her stomach protested as she walked by each stand. She hadn’t eaten in...oh boy, way too long. She also didn’t have credits, she reminded herself firmly.

/Let me help/

_ Hide _

Her stomach helpfully supplied that she’d already stolen something and that it wasn’t like petty theft was going to really make a difference considering the whole treason thing. Ahsoka cursed her belly with all her might. Honestly, please, try and focus. Food is fuel. Secure shelter, then water, then food. Please stop. /Where are you/ Really stop! I think that’s a nuna steak, is that bantha jerky? I don’t know what that is but it looks delicious.  _ Hide. _ I can’t concentrate with all of this-/Where are you/-nonsense! \I am no one, I am not noteworthy, just a poor mechanic, I am a shadow\ The first thing you need to remember is that your body requires more calories when you’re in combat. One way to tighten the noose is to restrict the enemy’s access to food and water. /Padawan, please let me help you, I was wr-/

_ H I D E _

Ahsoka snatch a piece of jerky off the stall she was passing and force pushed at a cart behind her. There was an uproar as everyone turned to watch the customers howling as boiling, oily soup splashed them. Ahsoka ducked down another side street and quickly squeezed behind a dumpster.

At the entrance to the alley was a hovering CPD surveillance droid. It’s ominous red light scanning up towards her even as other droids sailed past the entrance to swarm the accident site. Little silver blurs against the purple and orange lit alley. Ahsoka held her breath as the red search light passed over her hiding spot. The droid beeped a negative signal, a little red light flashing on its plates before it turned and left. She shoved the jerky in her mouth even as she turned a fled. The force called to her in the distance, guiding her away from the droids, away from the danger, away from her destination too. Away, away,  _ away from here. _

She needed help, and she needed it now.

Ahsoka slid around another corner to find a beaten up, but functioning call booth. She snorted in amusement. Nice for the Force to so conveniently place it, but who could she call? Her friends were all being monitored. Her men were actively hunting for her. She no longer had a single Master she could trust in the Temple. Her Senate contacts might believe she was guilty. Who, who, who? Ahsoka chewed at her lip as she gripped the sides of the booth. She couldn’t hide forever. She needed proof that it wasn’t her, so someone who could help with that. Someone she could trust with her life. Someone unlikely to be monitored for communications with her.

Ahsoka’s head snapped up as she punched in her call. She tapped her fingers on the sticky call box and tried to stay here and now.

“Ahsoka?”

It was like a cooling summer rain, and a distant thunderstorm. The relief that washed through her bringing tears to her eyes. Ahsoka gave a shaky smile, “Kalifa, I need your help.”

Kalifa’s eyes widened for a moment before she gave a firm nod. “Of course, you need evidence right?”

Her smile became much more confident, Kalifa’s talent for information hunting was about to pay off massively. “Anything you can find.”

Kalifa gave a rather smug smile before answering. “I was already ahead of you Tano, I found reports for warehouses that could house the nano droids. Most wouldn’t have been plausible locations, but there’s one placed close enough to be taken to the Temple. I’ll send you the coordinates.”

Ahsoka watched as numbers flashed on the screen, memorizing them as they went. “Thank you Knight Yonway! I owe you one.”

Kalifa gave a half shrug, one hand running through her hair. An awkward smile in place as always. Kalifa had never been good at taking compliments. When she finally met Ahsoka’s eyes again she spoke solemnly, “Don’t worry about it, you already got me covered.”

When the signal cut Ahsoka angled herself towards the nearest lift heading up. She took perhaps a bit too much joy in rubbing her excitement in Master Yoda’s metaphorical face as she punched in for Level 1313. At least he didn’t respond to it this time. His presence having retreated, she missed the heat he had always had in her. She hated cold spot that he left. She didn’t like that at all.

The Force still whispered to her, softly, so softly.

_ hide _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tfw you realize way too late that you were super wrong but have kind of super destroyed your Padawan's love and trust in you. Yeah, good luck convincing her that you've seen the error of your ways Yoda.
> 
> Everyone in this chapter is an absolute sack of potatoes, y'all just needed to talk and maybe HUG YOUR PADAWANS.
> 
> Anyways, this is it for Interruptions! I will be camping this whole week (thank goodness, thank you thank you thank you annual leave!) and will update The Apprenticeship when I get back.
> 
> I have at least one more completed story that I'll post after that, and several unfinished one shots to add somewhere including one from Yoda's perspective on this arc. I've purposefully been moving him further and further away from the action until he was more of a concept than a person Ahsoka could rely on. So if anyone is interested in seeing what the hell was going through his addled brain let me know!


End file.
